


My Shaman Love

by rubyhardflames



Category: My Candy Love
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Footnotes, Long, Mongolian Shamanism, Mythology - Freeform, Partly Educational, Slow Burn, Some hurt/comfort, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 104,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8012815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyhardflames/pseuds/rubyhardflames
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oyuun Batsaikhan is a young Mongolian shaman whose bloodline gives her the strange appearance of white hair and golden eyes. Demons and spirits may be her forte, but making friends at a new high school is not. Yet when a demon is discovered haunting a fellow student, Oyuun finds herself more involved than she originally imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fanfic I started on FF.net when I was 17. Since I have an Ao3 account now, I thought why not x-post it here? There's an idea I have for the ending that won't sit well with FF guidelines anyway.
> 
> So just a warning beforehand, Mongolian Shamanism is a big part of this fic. This is basically the shaman version of MCL as I thought of it (think supernatural shoujo manga, but not Japanese). Shout out to tengerism.org for providing me precious informational material. Of course, there are holes that research may be unable to fill, so some things will have been in one way or another improvised. I will have footnotes handy for strange terms and whatnot. Also, this is not a simple girl-meets-boy love story; if you're looking for fluffy romance that happens quickly, this is not it.
> 
> As always, I am open to constructive criticism, so let me know what you think. Enjoy!

It's a clear day, cool and sunny, with the fresh wind blowing at my back. My steps are quick and sturdy, showing the utmost confidence, but within are a swarm of butterflies tickling my stomach. My eyes seem to take everything in more perceptively than usual, and my hands are clasping the strap of my satchel for support. In one fist is a rolled up paper labeled 'Sweet Amoris High', and printed on it are words detailing the great curriculum and hospitality that the school has to offer. I have no doubts myself of the school's capability, but it's the dread of being thrust into too new an environment that makes my heart beat so fast.

I've been suspicious of new crowds ever since middle school. At first, no one seemed to care about what I looked like. But when I entered the sixth grade, other kids started poking fun at my white hair and gold eyes, and when they heard that I'm Mongolian they taunted me and called me 'Genghis Girl'. High school was no better and I was often the butt of many jokes, especially within the snippy girls' cliques. Perhaps it wan't a good school district, as my parents suggested, but I'm not so sure that this new one will be any different.

You're probably thinking, why is my hair white, and why are my eyes gold? That isn't a very normal coloring for someone, isn't it? For me, however, it is an indicator of a great bloodline. To cover this up, my parents have told people that I am descended from an Oirat Mongol **[1]** ancestor and share their genetic traits. But that is not the case.

Truth is, I'm descended from a very long line of Mongolian shamans; so long is this line, in fact, that it stretches to the time before Genghis Khan himself was born. These shamans were known in the past for their distinct coloring of white hair and golden eyes, and any baby born within the family that had such traits was immediately recognized to be brought up as a shaman. This made our family distinctive and even famous throughout the tribes, because it worked faster than the typical identifying procedure, which required work on the current shaman's part and could take years. I once asked my mother when I was little why our family's shamans had to be marked that way. She said she didn't know the exact reason - what the spirits chose was what the spirits chose - but she once heard it said that, "The hair, as pure and white as snow, to reflect the soul of man; the eyes, as bright and gold as the sun, to nurture with her gaze." **[2]**

There are two shaman classifications: black and white. These are not moral distinctions, but rather, abilities. Black shamans are warrior shamans who overcome and suppress evil by using force. They take their power from the Northern direction and use shaman drums to channel that power. Since their main focus is using might, black shamans have the ability to curse; however, a black shaman who curses too much will lose their healing power and become an outcast. White shamans, on the other hand, are shamans of peace and nature. They take their power from the Western direction and use staffs and bells in ceremonies. Their main focus is to pacify angry spirits and help mankind live in balance with nature; as such, they are unable to curse. For me, the spirits chose the path of a black shaman.

The Stalinist purges of the 1930's erased much of our family prominence when a political party under the Soviet Union banned religion altogether and stripped every Mongolian of their family clan names and registers. Only recently in the 90's did the new Democracy call everyone to try to remember their clan names or to find one to call themselves by (resulting in a lot of applications for the name 'Borijigin', Genghis Khan's clan name); since my family had then forgotten theirs as well, we took on the name 'Batsaikhan' and once again embraced our age old traditions.

Some of my family ended up coming here, to America where I was born. Our traditions haven't died out and neither have they been hidden - come to my house anytime and you'll see that we clearly display a _hoimor_ **[3]** and beside it, my _sheree_ **[4]** \- but my parents realize the implications it could have on my school life if everyone knew that I was a shaman, so I have to keep that part of me a secret from others.

Well, there's not much more to contemplate now that I've reached the steps of Sweet Amoris High. School for me starts tomorrow, but Mom insisted that I come and check it out first. Make some friends, she said. Well, that's debatable, and right now? I'm more nervous than anything.

My feet carry me up the steps, and my free hand grasps the rail to give my body balance. I finally reach the last step. Now I'm walking towards the door. It's made of glass with stainless steel framing and a metallic handle, obviously meant to be pulled. I pull it. It's heavy. I pull again with all my might and finally push myself through.

At last, I've done it...I've come to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Oirat Mongols are a group of people who tend to have fairer hair and different colored eyes; for example, blonde hair and blue eyes or red hair and green eyes, and sometimes Caucasian features. Legend has even said that Genghis Khan was redhaired and greeneyed. This strange occurrence may be from an ancient mixture of bloodlines long ago.
> 
> [2] Mongolians believe in a masculine moon and feminine sun. Because the sun's rays are warm and nurture plants, it is almost motherly, which makes it 'female'. The moon is 'male' because of its strong, stoic silence and watchfulness over the tribes at night, like a hunter.
> 
> [3] Traditional Mongolian homes have a hoimor, or sacred place, within the house. It is like a Buddhist altar but smaller and with more Mongolian artwork. It usually has candles placed upon it with pictures and offerings of food or drink along with other things considered important by the family. They are to be placed away from doors and general "traffic" in a modern house. But in a traditional tent, they are to be facing the north side of the house, and this is easy since the opening of the tent always looks out south.
> 
> [4] If a shaman is a part of the family, then they usually keep their equipment on the hoimor or beside it in a separate trunk called the sheree.


	2. Sweet Amoris High

Oyuun entered the building and was at once greeted by the familiar scents of books, paperwork, and classrooms that were all too typical of a school. Her hand went back to the strap of her satchel and her other was brought up to give herself a better view of the paper she was holding. _Sweet Amoris High School,_ it read. _Voted the best school in the district for ten years in a row..._

Circumstance brought her family into a new environment, but Oyuun doubted that this new city could be any different from the other one. To rub salt further on the wound, Sweet Amoris High was even more reputable than her old school. She was lucky they'd accepted her Oirat story, which wasn't even true in the first place, and whether or not the students would be too judgmental of her was still the biggest question.

She was here to test that out. Her mother sent her out after school ended for the other Amoris students so she could get to know it better, and to even make some friends. She wondered, though, what those "friends" would think if they'd gotten a new student later than the starting date? For, with the sudden transfer and move, Oyuun had to wait at least one week after school had actually started before she could get in, although she had been registered beforehand. That was because her parents had to cancel her enrollment in her previous school and quickly change it to Sweet Amoris High.

The walk to the school had been relatively easy. The directions were given to her right off a map of the area, and it was surprising to find that Sweet Amoris was so close to her neighborhood. A walk out to the town, going straight, make a right, and then boom; Sweet Amoris High School.

"Oh, young lady?" A voice called out, breaking her out of her thoughts and it wasn't until the voice's owner came close to her that Oyuun realized she was being spoken to.

"Ma'am?" she asked when she faced a sweet elderly lady. The lady looked very professional and wise, especially with the half-cut glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose and the dainty pearl necklace adorning her neck.

"Are you one of the new students here?" the lady asked. Her voice was soft and pleasant. "Ms. Batsaikhan, perhaps?"

Oyuun nodded. "Yes, ma'am...how did you know?"

The lady laughed briefly and gave Oyuun a smile. "I had a hunch it was you. I met your parents and they gave me a thorough description. I am the Principal, Principal Shermansky. Welcome to Sweet Amoris High School! You came here to ensure your registration was complete, correct?"

Oyuun was confused. She thought her registration was already complete when her parents had met with the school officials.

Principal Shermansky caught onto her confusion and gave her another pleasant smile. "Your mother told me that you'd be down here to do that. Perhaps she didn't tell you?" Then, as if she had just remembered something, "Oh, I'd also forgotten to tell your parents that you'll be needing a student photo ID taken as well. I will get the message down to the security office to be taken care of. In the meantime, you should go check on your registration in the student council room. It's over there, to the right. You'll see the student body president there, Nathaniel Hawthorne, whom you can ask about your enrollment form. Any questions?" she added sweetly.

Oyuun's jaw almost dropped at the mention of a security office in the school. What next, elevators? "No, ma'am," she answered. "I'm all set. I'll be going now, and I guess I'll see you again at the security office after I deal with my enrollment?"

"Right, right," Shermansky gushed. "If Nathaniel is available, he'll show you where it is. Otherwise, you can ask the students that have stayed behind to do their club activities. They are more or less quartered in various classrooms or passing by the hallways. After you take your photo, you may enjoy a little walk around the school to be better acquainted with it. I'd suggest the courtyard, it's a nice and airy place. Well, I must go now. See you down at the security office!"

Oyuun waved goodbye and watched as the portly old woman waddled down the hallway. When Principal Shermansky finally disappeared around the corner, Oyuun began to make her way to the student council room. _I have no idea what Mom meant by not telling me any of this,_ she thought of the registration as she walked, _but I'll have to take care of it if that's the case._

Her arm reached out for a door with the words 'STUDENT BODY COUNCIL ROOM' emblazoned conspicuously on a plaque to the side. She had stuffed the paper about Sweet Amoris into her satchel shortly after Principal Shermansky had left, so her hands were both free to open the door this time. And when it did, it revealed a neat meeting room with an oval-shaped table and padded red chairs. To the back was a bulletin board, lockers, and a copier machine. A lone water dispenser stood isolated to a corner.

There was only one person in the room besides Oyuun at the moment, and that was a boy with blonde hair sifting over some papers. Oyuun couldn't help but feel that he was someone who took his work seriously, an aura given off perhaps from his wearing a necktie, blouse, and khaki dress pants. Not many kids their age would ever dress so seriously, especially to school.

Then it hit her that maybe this boy was a part of the student council. Of course, why else would a teenager dress so importantly? _Should I have knocked before I entered?_ she asked herself as she stood there at the entrance, watching him doing his work. But he was so engrossed with the papers that he hadn't noticed her yet. Even when she started humming to herself, he still wouldn't budge.

 _Ok, what am I doing? This is going to take forever._ Oyuun sighed and cleared her throat. "Ahem," she coughed.

The boy jolted. "Hmm?" he grunted, and looked up from his work. "Oh," he said. "I'm sorry. I was a bit busy." His hazel eyes scrutinized her carefully before he continued. "You must be the new girl... _Oh-yoon Baht-sai-khan_?"

" _Baht- **seh** -khan," _Oyuun corrected him. "But yes, that's me."

He looked relieved. "I heard from the principal that you'd be coming today to check on your registration. Thank goodness you made it! I was waiting here for you after school ended."

Oyuun blinked. "Really? I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

The boy smiled, a charming and charismatic smile that showed good teeth. "That's all right. It's my duty as Student Body President to work with all the students, after all."

The young shaman girl's eyes widened when she realized that _he_ was Nathaniel Hawthorne. "Thank you...um...President."

Nathaniel laughed lightheartedly. "You don't have to call me 'President'! 'Nathaniel' is just fine. Only the other student council members call me by my official title. So don't worry about it."

Oyuun gave him an awkward smile, since she still wasn't sure whether it was ok to start off so chummy with him. To get to the point, she asked, "About my school registration; is everything ok? I'm quite sure my parents submitted everything. I only just found out while talking with the Principal that my mom needed me to come down and check on it."

"Right." Nathaniel went to a metallic cabinet file and perused the labels. "A...B...Here, 'Batsaikhan'." He took out the said file and leafed through its papers. "Everything seems to be here, except..."

 _Oh no._ "Except what?"

"Your enrollment form, which your parents are supposed to sign," Nathaniel explained.

Oyuun frowned. "Are you sure? I mean, maybe it got mixed up into another file or something..."

Nathaniel shrugged. "Maybe. Well, I'll have to look into that, and that may take a while...another thing that's missing is your photo ID, which I'm sure if you've met with Principal Shermansky, she's told you about it. Why don't you go and get it taken, and then meet me back here?"

 _Isn't that just lucky?_ Oyuun thought with an inner groan as she thought things over. Turning to Nathaniel, she said, "All right. Can you tell me where the security office is?"

"Sure. Go down the hallway, take a left, go down that, make a right, and it should be on the second room to the left. There'll be signs to help you on the way."

Oyuun nodded and ingrained the information into her mind. "Left, down, right, second to left...Thank you. I'll be back soon."

With that, she turned her back on Nathaniel and went out the door. The hallway was still empty, but in the midst of the quiet Oyuun could hear muffled sounds of activity going on behind various doors. As she walked towards the direction that Nathaniel indicated, she peeked through the glass of one of the doors and saw what looked like a drama club rehearsing. _So what Shermansky said is true,_ Oyuun thought. _Will_ _I end up joining a club like that too?_

Oyuun turned from the door and continued on her way. While she had been walking, she did not notice a group of three preppy girls coming in her direction. She'd been too focused on her thoughts about her new school, and perhaps she'd thought that they'd make way for her, because she continued going straight. When they didn't make any move to avoid her, she stopped to let them pass.

The head of the girls, a tall blonde with sea blue eyes, stopped as well, and so did the other two behind her. The girl on the left looked Chinese and the girl on the right was a brunette.

Oyuun thought that maybe they were being polite and stopping first, but before she could move forward the blonde girl greeted her.

"You must be the new girl?" she asked, her sea blue eyes glittering with an indiscernible emotion. "Our homeroom teacher _did_ mention a new girl in our class this year."

Oyuun looked warily at her and the other two girls. She'd seen too much of high school cliques from her previous year to think that they meant any good. "Yeah," she began. "I'm-"

"Wow," she exclaimed rather meanly, "between this one and that other new guy, we can't exactly say we got lucky this year, can we girls?"

The other two girls laughed, and Oyuun's face turned red. "Excuse me," she mumbled, "I have to go."

"Oh no you don't!" the Chinese girl commanded. Before Oyuun could say another word or do anything else, the Chinese girl grabbed her back by the shoulder and pushed her roughly. "Were you raised in a barn? Don't you know it's polite to excuse yourself before you leave?"

Oyuun's brows furrowed together in a frown. This was the first time she'd encountered physical force from a clique. "It was nice meeting you," she said as politely as possible, "but I can't stay and talk. I have other stuff to do."

The other two girls sidled behind the blonde one and gave each other conspiring glances. The blonde girl smirked and stepped up to Oyuun. "Look, you're new, so I'll give you some credit for being brave." Oyuun didn't like the sound of her voice, so harsh and assertive. "But that's not going to save you in the future. The name's Amber; be sure you remember that; and whatever you do, stay away from Nathaniel Hawthorne."

 _The student body president?_ Oyuun thought, confused. _Why on earth...? Does she like him?_

"Got that?" Amber stared down on her to give her a glare. Oyuun was around five feet three inches, and Amber was probably three to four inches taller than her in her heels, but it was her stance that made her seem intimidating.

Oyuun backed away a few steps and said, "Well, fine but...It's not like I like him or anything. I literally just met him, so..."

The smile that came next on Amber's lips was smug, as if she knew of a hidden joke being played that Oyuun was oblivious to. "Hmph. C'mon, Li, Charlotte, let's get going. I don't want to be wasting my time with this _thing_ anymore." She flicked her long and lustrous blonde locks behind her back and started walking, an evident signal for the other two girls to leave.

Oyuun kept some distance between them to avoid any other nasty encounters, but even so Amber managed to give her a rough bump on the shoulder. It was rough enough to have made Oyuun wince, and too rough to be an accident.

"White hair? Seriously?" Oyuun heard Li gossip to Amber as the clique walked down the hallway. "She some kind of doped out weeb?"

"White is so old," Charlotte agreed. "I mean, I understand green or purple but...white? This is high school, not a nursing home."

"Platinum blonde gone wrong?" Li suggested. "And those eyes...eugh, they're so creepy!"

"Oh come _on,_ girls," Amber giggled. "What's a wannabe supposed to do? I mean, I kind of feel bad for her. If I looked like _that,_ I'd dye my hair in outlandish colors too!"

The three of them laughed together, a sound that echoed throughout the hallways and within the corner of Oyuun's mind. Just remembering it was enough to make her face go crimson with embarrassment and rage, but she couldn't let that chip at her self esteem. Most importantly, she couldn't let herself become tempted to use her shaman abilities against them. So the second that she turned her head, she took a deep breath and continued on her way to the security office.

Once there, she met Principal Shermansky again as promised. It was a small anteroom that preceded a larger office within, but that was marked only for security personnel. A guard behind a desk beckoned for Oyuun to sit in a chair placed against the wall; when she sat down, she found herself facing a computer monitor that was equipped with a web camera at the top, lens facing outward. Shermansky stood by him while he did something on the computer, talking to him in low tones and occasionally pointing to various parts of the computer screen.

"You ready?" he asked her after a while.

Oyuun nodded.

"Ok. Say cheese."

There was a flash and a click, and Oyuun prayed that she hadn't blinked. The guard gestured for her to stand up and come over to the desk. When she did so, he took a small, square paper out of the printer and handed it to her. Her face stared back at her in a little close-mouthed smile, eyes thankfully open. It looked like a fair enough photo to use in the student files. Oyuun thought she had done her best with it, especially since this was her first time taking a photo ID for school. _I can't say Mom was wrong in sending me here,_ she told herself to cheer herself up. _If I hadn't_ _come, my registration would have been left incomplete._

She thanked him and the Principal before leaving the room to make her way to the student council room. She was only a few doors down the hall from her destination when a red-haired girl appeared from one of the club rooms and noticed her.

"Oh, hello!" she said in a very pleasant voice.

"Hi," Oyuun greeted back.

The redhead looked her up and down. "Say, I haven't seen you before. You a new student?"

Oyuun braced herself for more mockery. "Yes," she answered warily.

"What class?"

Oyuun looked at her photo ID, which had her class number imprinted on the upper right corner. "Class 2C," she answered.

"I'm in that class too!" The girl gave her a welcoming smile, surprising her. "I'm Iris Trelawney, by the way. Hey, Ken! Looks like you're not alone! This is the other new student our class is getting! So, the teacher _was_ telling the truth."

 _Ken?_ Oyuun thought that name sounded familiar.

A bespectacled boy with brown hair and a green sweater emerged at Iris' side and almost choked on his cookie when he saw Oyuun. "O-Oyuun!" he stuttered. "It's you, it really is you!"

"Ken!" Oyuun exclaimed in delight. "You're here! Why...how...?"

"My dad transferred me to this school," Ken explained. "It's because of all the bullies back at Oakland. He said this school had a good reputation. Well, he wasn't happy about it, but-"

"But here? In this city?"

"My house isn't so far away," Ken reassured her. "I take the bus here too, so my dad doesn't have to do any work on his part. What about you, Oyuun? This is where you were moving?"

Oyuun smiled and began to tell him all the details. Kentin was a good friend from Oakland High, the previous high school where they'd spent their freshman year. They were in middle school together as well, but didn't really connect until high school. He didn't make fun of her unnatural coloring, and even believed her when she said it was real. He didn't make fun of her when she said she was Mongolian; he even thought it was cool and asked her to share some cultural information. It was only natural that she'd be devastated to leave him, the only person outside her family who understood her. She couldn't even bring herself to tell him the city she was moving in to. Who knew that he'd be there as well?

Iris looked back and forth from Oyuun to Ken. "So you two know each other," she remarked. "That must make things slide a whole lot easier for you now."

Oyuun nodded. Ken ate another cookie.

"Well, Oyuun," Iris continued, "I told Ken on his first day here that anything he couldn't get, he could come to me for. So if there's something that confuses you about Sweet Amoris, I'm all ears. Don't hesitate, ok?"

"Thanks," Oyuun said. "I'm really happy I met up with you guys! But I have to go now, because, well..." She gestured towards the photo ID in her hand.

"Don't let us stop you, then!" Iris said. "C'mon Ken, let's go back. So do you like this club?"

Ken rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know," he said. "Could we see another one?"

"Sure, let's just see them finish..."

The door closed on the room and Oyuun was left alone once more. She felt better after meeting Ken again, so there was still some hope. Attending school with an old friend sounded easier than spending the year trying to make new ones. Iris was an exception, though; she seemed friendly and nonjudgmental. She made Oyuun feel welcome. That was new...and it was good.

She was soon back in the student council room and handed Nathaniel her photo ID.

"Just in time," Nathaniel remarked as he stuffed it into the 'Batsaikhan' file.

Oyuun stood quietly waiting for him to finish, and when he was done, she asked him, "So how did my enrollment form go? Did you find it?"

Nathaniel's face instantly fell. "About that, well...you see..."

Oyuun didn't like the look on his face or the tone of his voice. "What?"

"I'm sorry, but it looks like your registration couldn't be completed."

She blanched and nearly stumbled backwards. She had to put on a hand to her satchel to give herself the feeling of support. "So this means I can't be enrolled? I can't go to school? What am I supposed to do, then?"

Nathaniel burst out laughing. Oyuun was so taken aback by his show of mirth in such a grim moment that she was shocked speechless. But when it appeared that he wouldn't stop, she began to grow impatient.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You should've seen the look on your face," Nathaniel said as he finished laughing.

"So that was all a joke?" Oyuun asked disbelievingly. "Right from the very beginning?"

"Not from the beginning, no," he explained. "I'd actually found your form mixed up in another file, so everything's ok. I just wanted to throw in some humor for you since you're a new student and everything."

It took a while for her to register that. This was what the student body president considered humorous? Her heart literally stopped when she heard those words! But after the initial shock died down, she realized that he meant no harm, and if everything was going smoothly anyway, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was just his way of coping with the pressures of everyday commitments, she supposed. _But his face was so convincing!_

Nathaniel seemed to sense that the reception of his joke was not a mutual one and rubbed his neck nervously. "Yeah...heh...I guess I've spent too much time burying my head in paperwork. Sorry if I scared you."

Oyuun shook her head. "Nah, it's fine. You make a good actor though."

He chuckled. "Haha, thanks. Well, like I said, everything's ok now. You can go home or take a look around..." He waved his hand in a trailing gesture. "Most students leave after club activities at around five-thirty, so it will get pretty empty by then. Just to give you a heads up."

She nodded. "Thanks again," she said, and turned around to leave.

"See you at school tomorrow," Nathaniel called after her as she exited the room.

* * *

Sweet Amoris High was impressive. It had five floors, numerous classrooms, a huge library, and a separate wing devoted entirely to one large theater. Helpful signs placed throughout the halls prevented Oyuun from getting lost, but she found it easier to navigate after picking up a copy of the school map near the library. The map also detailed the school grounds, which was just as impressive, boasting a separate gymnasium building, a greenhouse and fenced-in garden, and a courtyard.

She was making her way next to the courtyard when she accidentally bumped into a taller person. "Oh, sorry," she apologized absentmindedly, still engrossed in the map. Without much thought, she reoriented herself to walk around him and continued on her way.

"What kind of 'sorry' was that?" he yelled after her. But she didn't hear. She just kept on going. When a hand reached out for her shoulder, Oyuun jolted. She turned around and found Ken looking at her with concern.

"Oyuun?" he asked. "Where are you going? Are you lost?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine, Ken," she smiled. "I was just heading for the courtyard."

"I'm going there too! Iris is taking me to the gardening club. But she's not here yet, so let's go sit down on a bench and eat some cookies."

"Sounds good!"

Oyuun took her eyes off the map for once and let Ken lead her down the hall to the courtyard exit. They pushed through the doors and found themselves in a spacious, open yard decorated here and there with stone picnic tables. A paved walkway meandered through the lush green lawn to guide the way to the gymnasium and greenhouse. The two friends picked one of the tables and sat down to eat from Ken's favorite brand of cookies.

"So Ken," Oyuun began after taking hold of one cookie. "Did Iris-"

They were interrupted when the same boy Oyuun had bumped into came sauntering over to them, an unpleasant look etched on his face.

"Oh no, it's Castiel!" Ken whimpered.

Oyuun didn't like the fear in Ken's voice. "Who is he? Did he bully you?"

"No...he just doesn't like to be crossed. I saw him giving the evil eye to some guy who'd accidentally spilled juice on his desk. And I've heard that he's beat up a few kids in the past...oh and, he's in our class."

Oyuun wasn't sure she should be afraid of someone Ken only saw giving the 'evil eye', but she guessed from the look on Castiel's face that he had a bit of a mean streak to him. _I better see what he wants,_ she thought and rose up protectively in front of Ken, just as she had done so many times back in Oakland High. That was pretty much the dynamic of their relationship; she would shield him from bullies as best as she could, and always grew defensive when it seemed as though someone meant to hurt or disparage him.

"You, with the white hair," Castiel called out roughly. "You think that's the proper way to apologize when you bump into somebody? You're pretty rude, aren't you?"

 _So it's me he wants,_ she thought, and sighed in relief. _But did I bump into him? I can't remember..._ and then it clicked in her memory. _Oh yeah. Oops._

Ken started shivering, prompting Oyuun to step forward and meet Castiel's angry gray eyes.

"What did you do to upset him, Oyuun?" Ken asked shakily.

"It's just like he said, I bumped into him," she explained. Turning to Castiel, she said, "Um, look, I'm really sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention."

He was unsatisfied with her response. "You know if you were driving, that wouldn't be a legit excuse, right?"

"Apologize already, Oyuun!" Ken urged her.

"I just did!" she argued.

Castiel watched them for a moment before saying, "Oyuun? That sounds like the name of the new girl who's supposed to be in our class. You're her?"

Oyuun nodded. "Yes...any more problems?"

"Hmph," He grunted distastefully. It was clear he didn't approve of her. His eyes, hard as stone, scrutinized her uncomfortably before he delivered his final verdict. "You oughta be more careful next time." Without further ado, he turned on his heels and went on his way. Though he was gone, his intimidation left an unpleasant mood in the air that was hard to shake off.

"Well...ok." Oyuun sat back down. She looked at Ken. "That was weird, wasn't it? I'll admit I was in the wrong, but boy, he's got some anger issues..."

Ken shivered one last time before taking out a cookie to eat. "I wouldn't cross him again if I were you, Oyuun."

"Don't worry, I won't." She then remembered the cookie she'd been holding in her hand and ate it up.

By the time Iris arrived to show Ken the gardening club, Oyuun had to return home to help her mother prepare dinner. Iris' presence lightened up the mood again and Ken was back to smiling in no time. She left them on a good note and revised her previous perception of the new school. Rather than being apprehensive, she was now actually rather curious. _Sweet Amoris High School,_ she thought as she walked past the school building's sign. _I wonder what it's going to be like._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of focuses on introducing the high school and some key players, so not really any shaman stuff yet :P. Let me know if it's a little lacking.


	3. The Dream World

Sometimes when I go to sleep, my three wandering souls **[1]** exit my body and travel to a spiritual land. It is known as the Dream World, and it is there that I take my shaman lessons. After all, I didn't become educated in the shaman ways without a teacher. However, it is a newer and maybe even 'modern' way for me to learn my arts. Traditionally, a shaman is taught by an elderly shaman and their spirit helpers, or animal spirits who act as guides and protection. But because I have no elderly shaman with me, I must learn through the Dream World. **  
**

The Dream World is shaped after the long and endless windswept plains of Mongolia. Barely any trees break through the smoothness of the land, and the long green grasses are always bowing down to the wind. The sky is dotted with scattered clouds and the sun shines brightly with her warmth. Sometimes the weather fluctuates and the landscape becomes wintry. Everything is real, and yet unreal. When I come there, my senses interact with the world so vividly it is as if I really am in the Dream World. But when I leave, I wake up in my bed and it is nothing more than a 'dream'.

When I enter, I don't enter the way I was dressed going to bed. It would be rude to show up for lessons wearing your pajamas, after all. I enter in my traditional Mongolian clothes. The most basic and fundamental garment is the _deel,_ which is like a dress. Men wear it too, so I should probably call it something of a robe. It has long sleeves and a close-fitting collar with a wide sash, making it suited for protection against the wind, yet flexible enough to offer freedom for horseback riding. On top of my head, there is always a hat; it is round at the top and edged in thick fur trimming. Depending on the temperature, the edge could be raised or lowered. I also wear trousers underneath the _deel_ to cover my legs, and those are tucked into thick boots. When it is cold, there is a winter coat that covers my _deel_ and keeps me warm. If there is a special occasion, like the coming of my three shaman cousins, the hat is decorated with long tassels of beads framing both sides of my face, and my _deel_ and coat are more colorful and formal.

Whatever I wear, though, I am always readily mounted on my Dream Horse. This is the horse that carries me through the Dream World and acts like another spirit helper to protect me. Shamans always have a horse in this world, and in turn they cannot ride the horse of another shaman. The horses will only accept their one shaman master and rider. My horse is Qulan, a splendid and sleek blue roan.

I believe I mentioned that when my three cousins come, I enter the Dream World dressed more fancily. Well, if you've paid attention, my three cousins are also shamans, so they also have teachers and horses in the Dream World. We can see each other through this world at night even if we are physically far apart. In fact, if one of them was to go to halfway across the world on a plane, he could still come see me by riding his horse through the Dream World. So far, the Dream World has only been shared between us shamans, and is something of a shaman secret.

But silly me, I've been going on and on about taking lessons when I haven't even mentioned a teacher. As I've said, the traditional teacher of a shaman is an elderly shaman and the spirit helpers. But here in the Dream World, my teacher is my ancestral Protector Spirit - you could say she plays the role of the elderly shaman - my great, great, great, great, many more greats, grandmother, Oyugun. She was a very accomplished black shaman in her time and so was given the title 'Abjiya', which means Great Shaman Priestess. It is thanks to her that I know what I do now. To make up for the learning handicap that I face, she tutored me as soon as I was able and hounded me relentlessly in all the basic skills of shamanism. Her tutelage has brought me as far as the second degree of shamanism, and there are nine in total. It is very rare for a shaman to reach the ninth and last degree, so as you can see, a lifetime's worth of work lies ahead of me. Even then, I might be lucky to reach the sixth degree before I die. The Abjiya herself managed to reach the seventh. Her spirit resides within my shaman drum, which was hers in the past, but when I need her near me in public and a drum is too inconvenient to carry, I have a talisman necklace which she can follow.

Abjiya has white hair and golden eyes, just like I do. She appears young in the Dream World and is always dressed in her shaman robes, which never change no matter what the weather. Her horse is a dark bay with no name, because traditionally horses aren't supposed to have names. I gave mine one because, just like those of you who have pets, I can't stand bonding with an animal and not naming it.

Well, tonight I am seeing her, as I can feel the distant breathing of the Dream World's wind beckoning to me, though there is no fan or air conditioner on in my room. My thoughts grow hazy as my mind plummets into deep sleep, and eventually, they turn into dream...

* * *

"...and that is also how you can use a spell chant to curse in a situation that requires quick thinking," the Abjiya Oyugun said as she finished demonstrating the curse to her student, who was more busy in staring out into space than listening.

"Oyuun?" Abjiya asked. "Oyuun? Hello, Oyuun? Are you paying attention?"

"Huh?" Oyuun broke out of her thoughts and looked at her teacher. "Oh, Abjiya, sorry, I was a little distracted."

The Abjiya did not seem pleased, but she wasn't angry either. "Well Oyuun, we cannot continue our lessons if you can't pay attention. You might as well tell me what's on your mind right now. Hopefully that will make your head a little clearer." She turned her horse's head so that it was facing Qulan and Oyuun, the jingle cones **[2]** on her robe clanking softly as she moved.

Oyuun felt a bit awkward explaining her school problems to the Abjiya. But they had been able to discuss many things before, even Ken, so there shouldn't have been any problem confiding in her. Not only was she the Abjiya and teacher, but she was also the loving great, great, great, many times great, grandmother, making her a part of the family.

_I suppose I can tell her,_ Oyuun thought. _She's always been ready to listen to me when I have problems. At least I have someone like that._ "Well," Oyuun started, "today I came to my new school to check it out and make friends, like Mother said."

"Yes, I was aware of that."

"I did have a good time, because Ken turned out to be there and a really nice girl named Iris welcomed me cordially." The young shaman gave a sigh before contuing. "But I also had a run-in with some mean girls who didn't like me very much. And...well I know I shouldn't feel too bothered by them, but..."

The Abjiya raised an eyebrow. "What is it, child?"

Oyuun's golden eyes were uncertain and clouded with doubt. "Those girls are unlike the other mean girls at my previous school. They seem more...serious, and hostile. I didn't think too much about it when I left the school, but since I might have to meet them again when I wake..." And she began to relate to the Abjiya of her experience of the previous day.

"Hmm." Abjiya's face grew serious and she stared down at her horse's ears for a while, lost in thought. Then her golden eyes came up to meet Oyuun's and her face was set with a sort of resolution. "Acting out in violence is never acceptable. I'm sure you know that." When her student nodded, she continued, "That being said, self defense is not a sin. If you feel that you are truly in danger, you have every reason to strike back. It's the same principle with curses."

Oyuun did not like the sound of that.

"Of course, I am not telling you to curse those girls," the Abjiya said with an amused smile. "I would advise against using shamanic power in retaliation to their antics. They're nothing but petty children, after all. Try not to take their taunts to heart. It will probably be hard to do, but if you can detach your emotions from their words, then you won't feel half as bothered by what they say."

"Thank you, Abjiya," Oyuun said with a smile, though she still had her doubts.

The Abjiya nodded. "That's good that you feel better," she remarked. "Now, our time is almost ending. I want to review the lesson before you leave. What have I been teaching you so far?"

Oyuun blushed. "Um, well, " she stuttered. "You were saying something about spell chants...to, uh..."

Abjiya gave out a sigh of exasperation and turned her horse to face the wind. "To curse, young one. Woe to me if you come here with your personal troubles, especially when I'm teaching you curses! Ah, well. What's happened has happened. Come, let's go to my yurt **[3]** for some _airag_ , fermented mare's milk, before you leave."

Oyuun nodded in obedience and set Qulan in a canter after the Abjiya. When the Abjiya's bay began to gallop, so did Qulan, and the two horses carried their shaman masters over the great plains as if the wind itself were blowing them across. So fast were they going, that Oyuun's hair whipped back and her braid became untied. She caught the lace midflight and carried it in her fist, all the while enjoying the ride on Qulan.

Then, atop a mid-sized hill, came the welcoming sight of the circular dome-topped yurt the Abjiya was talking about. Once they reached it, teacher and student dismounted their steeds and tied them to some stakes nearby. The Abjiya entered first and Oyuun entered second. Abjiya prepared a mat for Oyuun to sit on and took out two wooden bowls already filled with _airag_. Together, they raised the bowls to their lips, but Oyuun had downed hers within the moment.

The taste that airag always left on the tongue was slightly sour, yet fortifying. Oyuun had grown used to it, in part because the Abjiya had gotten her to drink it during their very first meeting when she was young. It was much harder to acquire any _airag_ physically in places besides nomadic central Asia, so Oyuun had never experienced it in the real world. But she did hear from her white shaman cousin that when he'd visited Mongolia, he drank it for real, and that it was no different from what their ancestral Protector Spirits gave them.

Drinking _airag_ in the Dream World not only held traditional and customary purposes, but it also strengthened the three wandering souls of a shaman for their journey back to their body, which was why Oyuun had drained her bowl within the first few minutes of acquiring it. The Abjiya was no longer living, so she would not need it as much, but Oyuun's three souls would need it as much as a malnourished man needed food. So at the end of every lesson, Oyuun and the Abjiya shared bowls of _airag_ to satisfy Oyuun's souls and give them more power.

Abjiya smiled and reached out to recieve the empty bowl that Oyuun handed back. "Nice to see your _airag_ appetite still as strong as ever. That is good. If only you'd direct that energy more towards curses. I know black shamans who curse too much are bad, but a black shaman who curses too little is just as bad."

Oyuun frowned at the Abjiya's remark. "But why should I curse more? I don't really have anyone I want to curse. Not even those mean girls at school."

"There will be entities you may deal with that you cannot drive away with just spell chants and burning herbs, or even the assistance of a powerful spirit helper. Curses will aid you, and frankly they are required to be used on people as much as bad spirits."

There was logic in the older shaman's words, but Oyuun still felt uneasy about it. "I would be more comfortable being able to bless more, like a white shaman."

"But the spirits have ordained that you should be a black shaman. You can't argue with them."

"I know, I know," Oyuun sighed. She could feel her time in the Dream World nearing to a close, so she and the Abjiya stood up to say goodbye to each other. "Thank you, Abjiya, for tonight's lesson. I'm sorry I didn't pay attention and I promise to do so next time."

"And may the spirits be on your side," the Abjiya finished, putting a hand on the young girl's head to ruffle her white hair. That was her own personal touch, something improvised to make her less of a formidable shaman and more of a loving grandmother. "Oh, and Oyuun, before you go; wear your talisman necklace to school tomorrow. I want to see what it's like for myself this time."

"Yes, Abjiya. I will." Oyuun smiled and headed out the tent. She untied Qulan, mounted him, and rode off across the plains to the Point of Return. When a shaman's time in the Dream World nears its end, they ride out their Dream Horses to the Point of Return, a center of concentrated shamanic power that would send their three wandering souls back to the body. Oyuun was well trained enough by the Abjiya that she no longer needed the Protector Spirit to guide her there; she could instinctively sense it in her own mind, a small but good step towards becoming a fulfilled shaman.

It came closer, and closer, and closer, with every thundering hoofbeat. Oyuun closed her eyes and let the tangles of shamanic power envelope her. As she drew closer, she rode Qulan faster towards the Point. And then..

Everything turned dark and the only thing she was aware of was a light, floating sensation. Within minutes, a light at the end of the darkness opened up and Oyuun could feel herself being dragged towards it. Soon enough, her souls began to rest peacefully back into her body, along with the memories of that night's lesson. When she was fully aware of herself again, her golden eyes fluttered open and caught sight of the sunlight streaming in from outside her window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] In Mongolian shamanism, it is believed that a person holds three souls: the suld, the ami, and the suns. The ami and suns may travel freely in and out of the body, but if the suld leaves, then that person would die. However, if the ami and suns are out too frequently it can cause problems such as mental illness and comas. But that only accounts for two souls, not three.
> 
> The third soul Oyuun would be referring to, then, is the udha soul; it is an extra soul given to a chosen shaman at birth by the spirits, and it helps them gather other spirit helpers for protection. Without that protection, journeys between the otherworlds would be dangerous.
> 
> [2] Jingle cones are long and thin in shape and dangle from a shaman's robe.
> 
> [3] A yurt is a circular and domed portable tent most commonly used by the nomadic peoples of central Asia, which obviously includes Mongolia.


	4. Nothing is as it Seems

Oyuun walked leisurely on the sidewalk that led to Sweet Amoris High. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder, her hair neatly tied in a side braid, and her talisman necklace hung round her neck. It rested visibly against the front of her shirt and bounced along to her movement. There was no hiding this necklace if one wanted actual protection, so whatever was going to be said about it, Oyuun was prepared. The Abjiya's orders were more important, anyway.

When Oyuun came within sight of the school, the door was wide open and a few students were making their way inside. But as she got closer, she noticed a great sound of laughter coming from within. _What's so funny?_ she wondered as she came up the steps. At the same time, the talisman on her neck was tingling with a cautious aura.

_Abjiya doesn't like the laughter,_ Oyuun thought worriedly. _Something is wrong with it. What could it be?_

She had only crossed the threshold of the school when she was accosted by Amber, Li, and Charlotte.

"Why, hello there, Oyuun," Amber said in a mock-friendly voice.

"Hello, Amber," Oyuun greeted hesitantly.

"We were just talking about you," Amber explained, and she flashed a wicked smile. "We saw your heroic actions yesterday."

"Heroic actions?" Oyuun blinked in confusion.

Li put a hand over her heart and pretended to look moved. "Oh, it was so dramatic! I could've cried, if it weren't for..." She trailed off mysteriously and looked to Amber.

"Oh Oyuun, so clueless," Amber continued. "Don't pretend like you didn't know it. You defended your helpless boyfriend Ken from the big bad Castiel...remember?"

_WHAT!?_ Oyuun was so shocked that the talisman had to send an aura of discipline her way in order to keep her in check. "Wait, what? You have it all wrong, Ken's not my boyfriend. And Castiel wasn't going after Ken. I was the one who angered him."

"That's just pathetic," Charlotte commented. "What kind of boyfriend doesn't stand up for his girlfriend?"

Amber giggled. "Silly us, so it was just him being a useless coward! Thanks Oyuun, for clearing that up."

"But I'm not his girlfriend," Oyuun repeated angrily. "He's just a friend, and he's not useless."

"Come on now, don't be upset about it. That's a great improvement for someone like you. Isn't that right, Li, Charlotte?"

The other two girls laughed in Oyuun's face, making her go back a step.

"Oh, right, before I forget." Amber dug through her purse for a moment and took out a sheet of paper. "We girls have a present for you. Welcome to Sweet Amoris High!"

Oyuun took the paper that was roughly shoved into her hands and turned it over so that she could see what was on the other side. It took her a moment to realize that Amber had just given her the photo ID she took the previous day, but...

...her portrait was given a mustache, and insulting words were written all over the picture.

_Oirat?_ _**A** _ _rat!_

_Watch out guyz, she gonna invade this school like Genghis Khan!_

_"Butt"-saikhan!_

_Grandma!_

"How did you get this?" the shaman snapped at Amber while tightening her grip on the paper. "And how could you...?" Her voice practically choked on itself. _They're so mean!_ In a flash of anger, Oyuun crumpled up the ruined ID, uncaring of whether or not she'd need to take a new one.

Amber simply laughed at her as though she were a child who didn't know anything. "Oh no, looks like you just busted your only ID! But wait; lucky for you we've got copies...lots and LOTS of copies!"

The three girls proceeded to take some papers out of their purses and shower Oyuun with photocopied photo IDs that were identical to the one she had just held. The same words were written on every single one, but in a few the mustaches had different outlandish shapes. As Oyuun stood in the midst of the littered paper, Amber smirked and gave out one last remark before leaving.

"By the way, we've made a hall of fame for you! Now you're famous throughout the whole school!"

_No..._ Oyuun ran ahead and true to their word, they had plastered the copies all over both walls in the hallway. Whether tilted or straight, countless smiling Oyuuns stared out into the building with ridiculous mustaches and offending insults written all over. At the same time, Oyuun discovered the source of the laughter: everyone present, junior to senior students alike, were pointing at her picture and guffawing.

Oyuun felt as though someone had just knocked the wind out of her. She looked back at the pile of paper behind her and stared at it in horror, as if it were some demonic abomination.

Things only got worse when the laughing students identified her. "Hey, it's Butt-saikhan!" a rude guy shouted.

"Isn't she that dorky Kentin's girlfriend?"

"Wow, she really does look old!"

Oyuun tried to shut the noise out from her mind in order to think. Thinking was what calmed her down in stressful situations, even if it didn't always bring results. Amber's clique couldn't have gotten ahold of her ID unless they snooped through the file cabinet in the student council room. But there was no way they could have pulled it off without getting caught by Nathaniel; he'd stayed in the room after she went to tour the school. Which could only mean...

Her suspicion felt confirmed when her eyes spotted Nathaniel's distraught form in the midst of the humorous chaos. _It was him,_ she decided right then and there. The talisman, however, did not seem to agree with her. But she didn't care at the moment. All she could think of was how Nathaniel had a hand in playing this prank on her, too.

"Everyone, quiet! Please!" the student body president pleaded. But no one wanted to listen. "Stop this nonsense if you don't want a suspension!"

That seemed to do the trick. The laughter died down and the students started filing themselves to their classrooms, but that didn't stop them from looking back and leering at Oyuun with mocking eyes.

This left Nathaniel and Oyuun alone together in the hallway. While Nathaniel was moving to take the pictures down, Oyuun stood rooted to the spot, glaring at him as he moved.

After Nathaniel put the first load of pictures in the trash, he hurriedly went over to Oyuun, his face flushed with anxiety and embarrassment. "Oyuun, oh my god, I'm _so_ sorry about this. I had no idea that these students-"

She gave him no time to speak as she slapped him full across the cheek.

Nathaniel was so taken aback that he stumbled back a few steps and put a hand to his stinging cheek. "Oyuun?" His voice was incredulous.

"Only you could've gotten to that photo ID!" she spat.

"What!? Oyuun, please don't misunderstand-"

"That was horrible and childish," Oyuun accused him. "How could you help Amber make a fool of me? What, are you two dating or something? Is that why you gave her my ID?"

Nathaniel's face twisted in horror. "What are you saying? Amber's my sister, and I would _never_ help her do anything like this! She must've photocopied it when she visited me after you left. I didn't know anything, my back was turned the entire time! Trust me!"

Oyuun roughly wiped at her face so that he couldn't see the tears rimming her eyes. "Trust you? After this? Never!" She turned away from him and angrily made her way to her classroom, but at the same time, stopped along the way to rip down the papers. _I hate this school, I hate this school, I HATE THIS SCHOOL!_ She got ahold of one paper and tore it, stomped on it, smashed it, crumpled it, threw it; and then sank down to cry her angry tears.

_What did I ever do to Amber that made her so angry?_

Two fingers tapped lightly on her shoulder, and Oyuun was prepared to swat them away. But when she looked up through her misty eyes, she saw that it was Iris holding out a hand for her.

"That was Amber and her girls, wasn't it?" the redhead asked softly.

Oyuun looked down on the floor and ignored Iris' hand. "Yeah," she affirmed shakily. "It was."

Iris sighed and bent down beside her to rub her back comfortingly. "That was a horrible prank indeed," she said. "But class starts soon. Let me take you to the bathroom so you can wash your face, ok?"

Oyuun nodded wordlessly and allowed Iris to lead the way. When she finished washing her face, she wiped at it with some brown paper towels and looked into the mirror to make sure it was completely dry.

"You look much better now," Iris commented. "You ready to go?"

The way to the classroom was blurred as Oyuun was being led by Iris again, her face listless and numb. Most of the shock had ebbed away, leaving only dull throbs of humiliation that she felt prominently in her cheeks. As Iris opened the door for her, Oyuun was greeted with the sight of seated high schoolers who were all busy talking to each other, but stopped when she entered.

"It's Butt-saikhan. Yeah, it's her." She could hear the whispered acknowledgements spreading all over the classroom like a wildfire.

Iris heard them, too. "Come on guys, that's just plain mean! Are you really going to follow Amber and her cronies and mock her like that?"

Amber, unfortunately, was part of the class, and she had on a smug face. "Iris, always the goody-goody two shoes. Can't you tell a joke when you see one?" The teacher wasn't there yet, making Amber feel free to say what she wanted. "It was funny, too."

Li giggled at her remark. Charlotte was nowhere to be seen; _she must be in another class,_ Oyuun thought. _Thank goodness. The three of them united are worse than a swarm of wasps._

Her eyes panned over the rest of the classroom to take a look at whoever else was in their class. Ken sat somewhere in the corner, looking pitiful yet sympathetically at her. More to his left, there was a girl with wavy brown hair, another brown haired one with dyed pink tips, a scowly dark-skinned girl with a scarf, a gentle boy with green hair...

_Where's Castiel?_ she suddenly wondered. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. _I thought he was supposed to be in this class._

"Forget them, Oyuun," Iris said indignantly, bringing her back to reality. "Let's sit down. Here, you can sit next to me and in front of Ken."

At this, there was some teasing about Oyuun and Ken again. But, like the Abjiya had said, she ignored them and tried to detach her emotions from them - a rather easy thing to do with numbed feelings. If only she could have done that earlier with Amber...then maybe she wouldn't have felt so bad.

When they sat down, Ken whispered a little 'psst'. "Oyuun, Oyuun," he said. "Are you all right? Would you like a cookie?"

Oyuun declined with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine. I think I'll pass."

"Ok." Ken took a cookie and ate one. "Well, that was the last one, so I can't offer you any more today."

"It's ok."

"Look, guys, don't let Amber's pranks get to you," Iris told them. "She's just an average meanie, that's all. There are worse out there."

Oyuun took out a notebook and began doodling. "I know, I'm trying my best to do that." Remembering Iris' use of the plural 'guys', the shaman girl whirled around to look from Ken to Iris. "Wait a second. Does that mean Ken was bullied by her too?"

Iris nodded grimly. "She and her cronies took his lunch money before you came today. Then they pushed him to the ground."

Oyuun took in a sharp breath. She cursed in Mongolian to be safe.

Iris ignored the Mongolian cussing. "I know. It's even worse that they decided to make fun of you as a couple, even though you're friends."

"Actually..." Ken spoke up, and his voice trailed off nervously.

"What is it, Ken?" Oyuun asked.

Iris leaned in to listen.

"Um, about that thing, of us being a couple..." Ken gulped. "I told them when they pushed me that, um, we were going out together. They started to make fun of your Mongolian roots!" he hurriedly added as Oyuun's face blanched. "So I said, 'She's my girlfriend, so stop making fun of her'!"

"But, Ken, you could've just said something else instead of that," Iris pointed out. "There are many other ways..."

"But that's how I really feel," Ken whined miserably as he put his head on his desk.

Oyuun turned back to her seat and tried not to let herself lose her sanity. _Oh my god. Ken fueled some of the rumors...on purpose...does he really feel that way?_

"I've loved her ever since middle school," Ken admitted to Iris. "It was hard holding in these feelings, and I wanted a kind of comeback to get them to stop taunting her."

_And you're not caring that she's sitting right in front of you, hearing every word?_

Iris gave them a strained smile to show that she was trying her best to look supportive, despite the strangeness of the situation. "W-Well," she began, "you'll have to wait and see how Oyuun feels...first..."

"It's ok, Iris," Oyuun said. "That's between me and Ken. We'll have a word on this later." And that was all she said of the subject for the rest of the day.

* * *

School ended more peacefully than it had begun, although some students were still laughing about the pictures, which were thankfully cleared off the walls after homeroom. Oyuun heard that Amber got a warning from Nathaniel and Shermansky at the same time, but paid little attention to her after the horrible incident. During second period, Castiel finally came in and when he did, he refused to offer an explanation to the teacher. His cold gray eyes landed on Oyuun and he gave her a smirk as he made his way to his seat. Oyuun guessed it was because he'd seen the pictures, too.

Oyuun and Iris walked together in the courtyard now. The friendly redhead was trying to introduce her to a school club. Students were able to choose their club as soon as their first day, Iris had explained, but most settled their choices by the third. They had until the end of the second week before club applications were no longer accepted. Iris showed her some of the ones that went on inside the building, but Oyuun couldn't make up her mind between them. Now she had two options left: the basketball club and the gardening club.

"Did Ken choose a club yet?" Oyuun asked.

"Oh, yes, he did," Iris nodded.

"Which one?"

"Gardening. He chose that yesterday, after you left. Do you want to join it too?"

Oyuun shrugged. "I guess I'll go see."

They went together towards a greenhouse that sheltered many potted plants. Once there, she saw some students working on general plant care. But the only one they were greeted by was a green haired boy, the same one Oyuun had seen when she scanned the classroom.

"Hey Jade," Iris greeted cheerfully.

"Hello Iris," Jade returned. "Taking the new student around?"

"Yup. She's feeling much better now, so I thought I might."

Jade smiled and put the gardening trowel he was holding down on a bench. "That's good to hear, Oyuun," he said warmly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that on your first day."

"It's all right," Oyuun said, and gave him a smile.

"Oyuun!" Ken suddenly called out from the greenhouse, and he excitedly rushed to see her. "Oyuun, you're here! Come on, I've got to show you something!"

"Wha-"

But Ken was already dragging her away from Iris and Jade. "Ken, what are you doing?" she asked, trying to tug back. But Ken's grip was firm.

When they went around the perimeter of the greenhouse, Oyuun then noticed an _oboo_ stacked up a few feet away from the fence. An _oboo_ is a conical pile of stones with long tree branches sticking out at the top, usually six to ten feet in height, traditionally used as a shrine for _gazriin ezen,_ or nature spirits. A traveler encountering the _oboo_ would walk around it three times and add a rock to the pile to show respect for the nature spirit. The increase in stones raised the spirit's rank and power. Sometimes other things could be offered as well, such as food, liquor, milk, or butter, and it was said that offering these things to a nature spirit could increase the power of the human soul.

This _oboo,_ however, was only three feet tall with branches twice its height, and a bit lopsided.

"I made it myself," Ken said proudly. "Remember when you told me about _oboo_ s? I made it a rule for the gardening club now that whenever they come by here, they'll have to walk around it three times and add a rock to it."

_That must be a really weak gazriin ezen housed inside,_ Oyuun couldn't help but remark in her mind.

"I told them the nature spirit would bless them with better gardening skills," Ken continued.

"That's nice, Ken," Oyuun said slowly. It felt awkward to be around him, and the more she thought about the matter, the more indignant she felt that Ken _lied_ about them. It was one thing to hear of his crush, but it was another to know he told others they were dating when they weren't. She couldn't just say that to his face though, so she said instead, "I'd like some time to myself for now," and began walking away.

Ken was shocked and rushed after her. "O-Oyuun! No, don't take it that way!"

"Stop it, Ken," she ordered. "I need to think..."

"Oyuun..." He stayed behind this time as she went back to Iris and Jade.

When she came to them again, they were having a conversation. Iris noticed her and and happily came her way. "So, Oyuun, what did Ken show you?"

"It's a little Mongolian shrine for nature spirits," Oyuun explained.

"Oh yeah, Ken's been telling everyone about it," Jade said. "He sounded so serious, I even took three rounds around it and added a stone just like he said. Some girls were talking about offering the spirit a soda too."

Oyuun frowned. "You can't really offer a _gazriin ezen_ any soda."

"Oh? Then what do you offer it besides more stones?"

"Alcohol, milk, butter, and food."

"We sure don't have alcohol here," Jade remarked playfully. "But I'll try to let the girls know about the rest. So, how do you like this club?"

"It's good," she said, although she wasn't too sure if she wanted to choose it at the moment.

"Do you want to see the basketball club?" Iris asked her.

"Yeah, I'll still go," Oyuun agreed.

"Ok, I'll take you."

As they were going down the path to the gymnasium, Nathaniel came rushing out of the school looking flustered and upset. Oyuun noticed a paper in his hand, which she hoped wasn't for her. When he spotted them, he winced a little at the sight of Oyuun but came over anyway.

"Has anyone seen Castiel?" he asked.

"No," Iris replied. Oyuun just shook her head.

Nathaniel made a loud _tsk_ and paced around wearily. "God, where could he be?"

"What is it?" Oyuun asked him, despite their altercation earlier.

"This absentee form," Nathaniel explained. "He's got to sign it for skipping first period. I've tried to find him to give it to him, but he's avoided me by all means."

Oyuun frowned. "Aren't his parents supposed to sign that?"

"Yes, but he's legally independent because of his parents' jobs. His father is an airline pilot and his mother is a flight attendant. They're often absent due to their work, and so Castiel is usually called in to sign these."

"Did you check his club?" Iris asked worriedly. "It's the basketball club."

"Of course I know which club it is. But I've gone there and he's left."

That seemed to put Nathaniel in a bit of a pinch, and Oyuun felt bad for him. The talisman gave off an aura urging Oyuun to help him somehow, because the Abjiya still did not think that Nathaniel willingly gave Amber the ID to photocopy.

_I guess I have to agree with her,_ Oyuun thought. _He wouldn't be the student body president if he aided pranksters._ She put a hand on the absentee form. "Um...If you'd like, I could convince him for you..."

Iris and Nathaniel stared at her as if she just sprouted tentacles.

"He won't be angry with me," she added. "If he saw the pictures, then he'd be laughing instead of shouting at me. Maybe then I could sneak a signature from him. And Nathaniel, I'm sorry for today. I judged wrongly. I shouldn't have hit you, either. Consider this as payment for my mistakes."

Nathaniel thought it over for a moment, and sighed. "Well...it's worth a try...here, take it." He gave her the form. "I'd go alone, if I were you. Castiel might get intimidated by more than one person coming at him."

"Ok..."

"And so far, I've never heard of him hitting a girl, so you should be safe."

"I'll try my best."

"I won't blame you if you don't succeed, ok? And don't force him if it gets too rough," he called after her as she started walking.

She gave the two of them a glance behind her shoulder while she went, noting their worried faces, and then turned back around. _He can't be that bad. Can he?_

Oyuun decided that the basketball club, which took place in the gym, was the first place she'd check. If the redhead himself wasn't there, then maybe the other members might know where he was. He could also have returned to it after Nathaniel left. When she reached the gymnasium entrance, she could hear some basketball playing going on inside. Pushing the doors aside, she was greeted with the permeating smell of sweat and rubber.

Some players stopped when they saw her (and evidently, they were whispering Butt-saikhan again), but Oyuun ignored them and stepped into the gym. _Where do I begin?_ Without much of a clue, she started walking along the sideline, noting the layout of the building and scanning for the familiar red hair. Some eyes were on her as she walked, which she was all too uncomfortably aware of. When she couldn't take it anymore, she whirled around to face them and cleared her throat.

"H-has anyone seen Castiel?" she asked timidly.

Everyone fell silent until Oyuun heard the voice that'd been yelling at her the other day. "That's me you want." He stepped out in front of the others, still dressed in regular clothes rather than the jerseys the other boys were wearing. When he saw who it was that asked for him, he gave a smirk and laughed. "I can handle this alone, guys," he addressed the club members, and they dispersed to continue their game. When the way was clear, he beckoned her over.

Oyuun sighed at the sight of Castiel's mirth - obviously aimed at her - and obeyed him.

"Hey Butt-saikhan," he said just as they were within speaking distance of each other. "Nice picture you got earlier."

Oyuun blushed a deep red. "It's not like I liked it, ok?" she snapped. "Amber and her friends put it up." The talisman immediately scolded her with forceful aura for getting off track and she muttered a quick "Sorry" in her mind to the Abjiya. But rather than detracting from the point, the angry remark seemed to be drawing Castiel into conversation.

"Amber, as in, Nathaniel's sister?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah."

Castiel puffed out a breath. "Talk about a real pain in the butt. You got it tough there." He smirked again. "But that picture sure was funny."

Oyuun gave a mental facepalm. "All right, so you find it funny. That's not the issue here-"

"You know, if you dye your hair, you shouldn't be afraid to own up to it."

_What?_

Castiel looked serious. "I'm telling the truth. I mean, I dye my hair too."

"Well, the thing is, my hair isn't-"

"White is a totally original color. Not many people use it. It's almost rebellious. I kind of like it."

Oyuun was beginning to feel embarrassed by now. "Really...That's not what I came here for..." She sighed. "There's this form here, you see, that needs your signature. It's very important and..." _Oh crap. What should I say to make him believe me?_ She panicked for a while, fishing for answers in her head. Eventually, she sputtered, "I was, uh, told by...by...Principal Shermansky! Yeah, Principal Shermansky, she told me to get you to sign it."

Castiel frowned. "Really? Why wouldn't she give it to me herself?"

"She was busy with other work, and happened to choose me. So voila, here I am."

Castiel took the form and stared at it. After a while, he turned back to her. "Shermansky doesn't deal with these kinds of things. Only Nathaniel does." His eyes narrowed at her. "Did he send you?"

Oyuun almost stammered trying to find another excuse. That was when she thought of the perfect one: the truth. "Ok, I admit it, it was Nathaniel. I thought he helped Amber put up those pictures, since I'd given him my ID yesterday, and when I got angry at him, I...slapped him..."

"You what?" Castiel looked interested, intrigued, _happy_ even.

_Why does he look happy to hear that the student body president got slapped?_ But there was no time for that. He seemed to be buying into it. "Yeah, and then he got mad at me, and said that if I didn't want to get suspended I should do this for him." Ok, not the truth, but a good embellishment nonetheless. "My parents would kill me if I got suspended even once, so do you understand now why I'm doing this?"

The redhead smirked and gave Oyuun a thumbs-up. "I should've been there," he remarked.

She raised an eyebrow. "You have a bone to pick with him?"

"One or two. But you _do_ realize this won't make me sign it, right?"

Oyuun frowned. "Why not?"

"Cause I don't want to."

"But...I might get suspended..."

He gave her an emotionless look. "You think I care?"

_Oh boy._

"You don't mean anything to me, so why should I sign it just for you?" he continued. "It'll affect my record as well."

"If you cut class, though, you don't really care about your record," Oyuun pointed out.

Castiel smirked again. "Hm, you're sharp. Ok, I just don't like signing things from Nathaniel. So you can take that back to him and go on your merry way."

"But I really think you should sign...it..."

Her attention was arrested by a shadowy figure who stepped out onto the bleachers on the other side of the gym and locked eyes with her. Those hollowed holes...could they really be eyes? The body was wrong, too - dark and tattered and ragged. Oyuun knew what this was; this was no living person, but a dark spirit. She tilted her head beyond Castiel's arm to see the spirit more clearly, wondering why such an entity was in the gym. She saw spirits all the time, but shadowy ones like these meant something far more sinister than the regular wandering soul.

"What's wrong?" Castiel asked confusedly. He looked behind him, but seeing nothing of interest, turned back to glower at Oyuun. "I don't get it. What are you looking at?"

A dark and gloomy aura pervaded the gymnasium, weighing down on her souls. She scrutinized the shadow figure carefully, trying to catch a flitting detail she thought she saw in his irregular form. Then it hit her: the smell and feel of the plains that identified his origin. She blinked, taking in the sudden vision of yurts that flooded her mind, and opened her eyes to find the shadowy figure gone. She touched her talisman to let Abjiya know, but the auras that came out of her necklace told her that Abjiya had already been alerted. _Why is a shulam, a Mongolian demon, here?_

_He's around six hundred-ish years old,_ Oyuun calculated from the remnants of the demon's aura. _A little young for a shulam. But why this gymnasium?_ Unless Ken's _oboo_ had invited one to their school? That hardly seemed like it, but with its improper shape, it wasn't an impossibility.

"Well?" Castiel demanded impatiently.

"It's nothing," she assured him. "I thought I saw something weird."

"Okay? There was nothing there."

She tried to wave the matter away. "Honestly, I just _thought_ something was there..."

"Did your contacts slip or something?" Castiel asked.

"What? I don't have contacts!"

"Ok, ok, whatever."

Oyuun huffed and looked around warily for the _shulam_. The aura was still present, but visibly it was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and stared back at the absentee form. _Right, I've got other things to do._ "I really think you should sign this," she resumed, back to business, "because it's not that hard. You just, um, need to sign and then it'll be ove-"

Out of nowhere, a basketball flew straight at her stomach. "Oof!" It hit her with so much force that she actually fell back. When she landed on her bum, the absentee form scattered from her hand and floated down to the dusty floor beside her.

"Hey, who threw that?" Castiel angrily demanded of the basketball players. "Did you know you just hit a girl in the stomach?"

"But no one threw anything," a player protested.

"We were taking a break because the ball got thrown into the supply closet," a second one explained. He then saw the basketball laying near Oyuun's feet. "Oh hey, there it is!"

"How'd it get there?"

"I dunno."

"That's a pretty lame excuse you got there," Castiel growled. "Whoever threw that, just step up and apologize now."

_Now you're being chivalric?_ Oyuun shook her head and got up to her feet. Looking over at the club member who picked up the stray basketball, she saw the _shulam_ again sticking out like a sore, black thumb amongst the boys. Its dead mouth split into a skeletal smile when it saw her look of recognition.

_Ok, this shulam doesn't like me,_ she thought. _What else could go wrong?_

She reached down to retrieve the fallen form, but when she almost touched it, it blew away. _Hey!_ She made a grab for it again, and again, it evaded her. Luckily, the club members were still arguing with Castiel, so they didn't notice. She chased it all the way to the bleachers where she caught it at the corner in her fist before it could be swallowed into the space underneath the metallic seats. It was crumpled, but still serviceable.

Was it just her, or was the demon actually trying to prevent her from getting Castiel to sign the paper? _Looking out for its own kind,_ she joked as went back to Castiel. Once again, the demon disappeared, for he was nowhere to be seen amongst the group of arguing boys. His aura went along with him this time, prompting Oyuun to believe that the silly tricks were coming to an end.

"Like I said, we didn't do anything wrong!" one of the club members protested.

"So basketballs can throw themselves on their own. Oh, I get it now," Castiel spat sarcastically. "That makes total sense."

"Dude, you gotta believe us-"

"Castiel, it's ok, I'm fine," Oyuun interjected. "You guys just go back to doing whatever," she told the players. "You got your ball back. Go on...go." She made a flimsy shooing gesture and hoped that they would listen to her. They looked at her funny at first, then dispersed when they saw that it could get them out of the argument with Castiel.

The redhead glared at her. "You can't be serious. You were hit pretty hard, you know!"

_And I have to lie to him, again._ She couldn't just tell him that a spirit threw that ball, now could she? "It wasn't that bad," she insisted. "So, um, about your signature..."

She was annoyed when another interruption came in the form of some of the screaming basketball players. But she quickly saw why when one of the hoops suddenly tottered and toppled over. And it was coming down, on top of her.

Before she could do anything, Castiel jumped and pushed her to the ground to get her out of the way.

The hoop landed with a loud crash onto the basketball court only a foot or two away from them. That was too close for it to have been a natural fall, and when they both got up, they saw that the hoop's angle veered way more to the left than it should have.

_Oh my god!_ Oyuun wanted to scream. _I...I was almost killed!_ A sinister hiss passed through the air and Oyuun thought she could make out the distant silhouette of a tattered shadow peering at her from the behind the bleachers. That was no longer a prank; that was straight up attempted murder.

"What the HELL?" Castiel cursed. "Just what is going on today? Hey, Oyuun, are you all right? I didn't push you too hard, did I?"

"I have to go," Oyuun frantically stated to a shell-shocked basketball club. "Forget the form, Castiel. I'll let it slide as thanks for saving me."

"But-"

"Really, I can't stay!"

She put his bewildered face behind him as she exited the gymnasium. She tried to keep her pace even to calm her racing thoughts. She also didn't want Nathaniel thinking Castiel had done something to frighten her. When she returned to the spot where she left Nathaniel and Iris, she was a little sad to see the disappointment in student body president's features, but handed the form back to him anyway. She mustered up an apologetic smile and kept her eyes downcast to avoid betraying any of her previous fear. "I couldn't do it after all," she said softly. "He just refused and walked away."

Nathaniel sighed. "I knew it. Thank you, anyways."

"You did your best," Iris said encouragingly.

"I know."

The talisman quivered against her chest, and Oyuun put her hand to it to let Abjiya know she felt the same way too. From now on, she'd have to keep an extra eye out, for Sweet Amoris High was haunted.


	5. The Basketball Club

Oyuun came back to school the next day wearing her talisman again, as the Abjiya had instructed her to the previous night. She never had to deal with a _shulam_ at her school before, which was why Abjiya was being cautious. She figured that she agreed, for she'd rather be better safe than sorry. And, as Abjiya had pointed out, one _shulam_ in the gymnasium could lead to more _shulam_ elsewhere, especially if they didn't want Oyuun exorcising them. But so far she believed that they would only be concentrated on school grounds.

How on earth could Mongolian demons come to haunt another country, you wonder?

It's the same as a cargo ship traveling from country to country that can introduce a new species of animal to another land. As Mongolian people emigrate to America and eventually die there, carrying their tradition as well as belief, _shulam_ will more or less appear although not as frequently as the native demons and ghosts of the new country. Other spirits like _gazriin ezen_ and yek **[1]** may come as well.

It was only pure chance that Oyuun was able to discover this particular _shulam_ haunting Sweet Amoris' gymnasium. And so, after school, she planned to go back to investigate. And the only way to do that was...

* * *

"What? Are you sure?" Iris looked skeptical.

"Yes, I am," Oyuun answered.

Jade scratched his chin. "Wow...you sure don't look the sportsy type. I guess you never know, huh?"

Ken looked like he was ready to cry. "Oyuun...Oyuun...why? Why the basketball club?"

Oyuun sighed, knowing how weird it sounded. Just after school ended for the day, she insisted to Iris on joining the basketball club so that she could investigate the _shulam_. Luckily for her, she'd left her club choice undecided yesterday, or else she wouldn't have such a wonderful opportunity as this. She just wondered how opportunistic it might prove to be.

"Um, I can get the application for you," Iris said, "and we'll have a talk with the basketball club president tomorrow..."

"You don't have to worry about being rejected," Jade assured Oyuun. "These clubs are just for fun, and the basketball club doesn't have any connections to the real team."

"I kind of guessed that," Oyuun said with a smile. "And guys...I know you think it's strange of me, but...my old school didn't have anything like this, so I decided, why not try something totally new? I've been fascinated with basketball for a long time, anyways." That was an excuse, of course, but it wasn't as if she was free to let them all know the truth.

"As long as you're happy," Jade smiled back.

Only Iris and Ken seemed a little perturbed about Oyuun's choice.

"Aw, Oyuun, I would have chosen the basketball club if I knew." Ken was actually making sniffing noises by now.

"Well, come on then," Iris said at last. "Let's go get you an application."

She and Oyuun set off for the gymnasium, leaving the gardening club behind. Oyuun felt bad seeing Ken again there, but it was still intermingled with awkwardness of the previuos day, so she tried not to dwell to much on it.

Iris noticed the tension between them and she voiced her thoughts to Oyuun as they walked: "You know, Oyuun, maybe you should try making it up with Ken later. He seems so sad. I'm sure he didn't mean to say those things. Or, well, he did, but that's just how he feels. You'll have to take things a little more sensitively with him."

"I know," the shaman girl said wearily. "But I just...I just feel awkward when I think about it. I only want some time to absorb everything, that's all."

"Well, ok, as long as you don't completely ignore him."

 _How could I ignore him?_ she thought sadly. _He was my only friend before I came here. And yet, how could I have known that he felt this way about me? _If only Amber hadn't...  
__ But that didn't make any sense the more she thought about it. Even if Amber hadn't bullied him, she believed Kentin would still have found a way to make his love known. Persistence was one of his endearing qualities in some places...but in others, it was awkward.

The Abjiya resonated an aura of reassurance. It soothed her somewhat and made her feel less bothered by the whole thing.

"Thank you, Abjiya," Oyuun whispered to herself, quietly so that only she and the Abjiya could hear.

Iris and Oyuun reached the gymnasium in no time, and Iris led her to a little booth by the bleachers where club applications were placed. She took a paper from the pile and gave it to Oyuun, along with a pen that had been conveniently laid there. "Here you go," she said. "Just fill out whatever is necessary. Do you want me to wait for you, or do you want to do this on your own?"

Oyuun looked over the form to see what she'd have to fill out. "It's ok, I can do this. I'll even explore a little. If I need any help, I'll ask somebody."

"All right," Iris said. She looked a little reluctant to leave, though, almost as if she were afraid of leaving Oyuun behind. "Just...be careful ok?"

Oyuun couldn't help but notice the fear in her voice. "Oh? Why?"

"Castiel was going on at lunch about how a hoop almost fell down on you," Iris answered worriedly. "So did the other basketball club members."

Oyuun couldn't have heard the talk at lunch, because she had been eating in the courtyard while combing school grounds for other demonic traces. "Oh, that? It was just an accident yesterday. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Er, also...I don't think there are any other girl members here..."

"That's fine. Not all girls are nice like you; I mean, take a look at Amber."

"If you say so."

When Iris finally left, Oyuun moved to sit down on a bleacher and fill out her form. The first few questions were easy; first name, last name, date of birth, class number, school year, etc. But moving on to the incentives, like, 'Why did you choose this club?' things began to get a little more difficult. _Should I put in the reason that I told Jade, Iris, and Ken? No, even if they couldn't reject me, it'd be too imposing to write something so superficial. I should just focus on projecting my 'love for basketball'._

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. If only the _shulam_ had chosen a different place to haunt, such as the gardening club or the art club, then Oyuun wouldn't have to stress herself out trying to lie to worm her way in. It was easy enough listing the reasons why she'd do gardening and art...but basketball? Oyuun hardly knew any of the rules, and she hated the rubbery, sweaty smell of the gym.

"Stressing out, Butt-saikhan? Are you taking a test, or what?"

Oyuun jolted and whirled around to find Castiel, who'd managed to sneak up beside her on the bleachers. "C-Castiel!" When she realized that he might look at the application, she flipped it over. "Uh...what are you doing here?"

He frowned. "Newsflash: I go to this club."

"Oh...right..." Oyuun blushed in embarrassment. "I forgot." Looking at him again, he was more properly dressed for the club than he'd been the other day. He was actually wearing the jersey and shorts, and to tell the truth, he didn't look all that bad in them. _Oh, right, he doesn't have to hide from Nathaniel today,_ she reminded herself.

"Does having a ridiculous nickname give you memory loss too?"

Oyuun turned away from him to continue her application. "I don't have such a stupid nickname. My _real_ name, however, is Oyuun _Baht-seh-khan;_ do you hear me? Or do I have to repeat myself?" She couldn't see Castiel because she turned her back on him, but she could tell that he was still sitting near her.

Castiel gave an amused chuckle. "All right already, I hear you. So, what're you doing out here?" He tried to peer over her shoulder to look at the application.

Oyuun hurriedly flipped it over again. "It's nothing! Nothing you need to see, anyways."

But Castiel had, in one way or another, seen enough to know what it was. "No way! You're joining this club?"

She cringed so hard, she didn't think she could cringe any further. "Yes...I...am..." she ground out, feeling wave upon wave of humiliation tumble throughout her body.

He stared at her as if she were some alien that dropped out of the sky. "You'll be the only girl here, you know that?"

"Is that supposed to stop me from pursuing the sport I love?" _Not?_

He seemed a bit thoughtful. "I guess not."

"So, I'd appreciate it if you gave me some space," she declared matter-of-factly. "If you're going to lecture me or make fun of me, I'm not going to hear it."

Things were quiet for a while as Oyuun continued writing again. During this time all she heard was the sound of the pen marking the paper along with the squeaking of shoes and bouncing of balls on the smooth gymnasium floor. It grew to be so quiet she wondered whether Castiel was still with her or not. When she looked up from the corner of her eye, he was surprisingly still there.

"Um, Castiel?" She started feeling a bit creeped out. "Why aren't you playing?"

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"You've got more spunk than I thought."

"Th...thanks?"

He smirked and slid off the bleachers. "Well, now that you're joining, you'd better be ready. It's all boys out there...Don't let yourself get trampled, ok, Butt-saikhan?"

"I said my name isn't...! Gah!" Oyuun stomped her foot as Castiel left. _No, no, don't let him get to you,_ she told herself. _Just...just finish this darn application...what was it asking for again? Oh yeah, my phone number..._

A little while later, she was finally done. All she had to do now was drop the application into a ballot box on the application booth. She did so with a sigh of regret and couldn't help but feel as though she'd sealed her fate as the paper fell through. _Now, time to explore._ Oyuun turned around to make her way across the basketball court, heading for the hallway that led to the locker rooms and bathrooms.

There wasn't much activity in the hallway, which only had the bathrooms, boys' and girls' locker rooms, supply closet, and etc. One of the doors, however, hid a stairway that led up to an overlooking room, kind of like the room where sports emcees gave commentary on the game over a mic. Oyuun climbed the stairs and turned on the lights. When she entered the room, she headed straight for the big windows where she could see everyone playing on the court.

 _No shulam here,_ she thought, and withdrew from the window to look around. There were desks, filing cabinets, a water dispenser...everything looked in tip-top shape, and Oyuun could tell that someone cleaned the room from time to time. After she finished, she turned off the lights and went back down the stairs. She had only closed the door when she was accosted by one of the players.

He was African-American, with pulled back dreads and inquisitive brown eyes. "Hey, just wanted to ask you, what were you doing up there?"

"Oh, I was just looking around," Oyuun said.

"Ok. You must be new, so in case you didn't know, that place is off-limits."

"Really? Oops, sorry." She tried her best to make herself look innocently embarrassed.

The boy smiled. "It's all right, just remember it from now on."

"Dajan!" One of the players called out. "Hey, Dajan! Let's go back to the game!"

"Coming," Dajan answered, and turned to go back to playing. "Sorry man, I was just helping this girl with some of the rules."

"That white-haired girl?" a player asked. "Hey, isn't she Kentin Howard's girlfriend?"

"She's his girlfriend?" Castiel asked confusedly.

"Didn't you hear? Amber was telling everyone about it."

Oyuun jolted and tried to hide herself deeper into the hallway. _Good gods, I don't want them finding me while they're talking about me! Ugh, and why this stuff with Ken again?_ It made her feel very awkward and a little sad at the same time.

"Amber?" Castiel scoffed. Oyuun had kept the locker room door open, so she could still hear what they were saying. "Most of the stuff she says are lies. Why would you believe them?"

"Ken told her himself!" the same player protested.

Dajan was the next to speak, and he didn't sound very happy. "Guys, c'mon. Are we really going to have a debate over this? Gossiping about someone, especially when they're new, is wrong on so many levels. Let's not be a bunch of divas and leave the poor girl alone."

The topic ended there, and Oyuun soon felt safe enough to go out. The Abjiya gave her a bit of a scolding for being so scared, but Oyuun couldn't help it.

She checked the bathroom next. She did a full search of the girl's side but only peeked into the boy's, and in the end there were no strange auras or presences in either. There didn't seem to be much else to discover, as the boys' locker room (and Oyuun refused to go in there) and the supply closet were the only ones left. The supply closet was a bit dark and dusty, but again, no presence.

 _Well, I'll be here a little more when my application is accepted,_ Oyuun reasoned. _So wherever this shulam is hiding, it can't hide much longer._

* * *

That evening after Oyuun came home, as she was doing her homework on the dining room table, her mother came in from talking on the phone. Though the young shaman was still focusing on several math equations, she couldn't help but notice from the corner of her eye that her mother seemed enthusiastic about something.

" _Eje_ **[2]**?" she asked. At home, Oyuun always spoke Mongolian. "Mother? What's the occasion?"

"Oyuun, this is good news," her mother gushed. "I was just on the phone with Principal Shermansky."

Oyuun's head perked up. "Good news?"

"She says you've joined a club at school!"

 _Oh, that,_ Oyuun thought. Her parents were always on her case about making friends and joining school groups, probably because they were worried that she'd be too lonely at school. They weren't born as shamans like she was - their more natural black hair and brown eyes being a clue - so they wouldn't have known what it was like to be in their daughter's situation. Still, they always tried their best, and Oyuun couldn't help but love them for it.

"The basketball club is a good way to go," her mother continued. "It'll give you the exercise that your father's always saying you're lacking. Not to mention, the friends you could make!"

Oyuun smiled. "Yes, well, I suppose father especially is pleased that I can make different friends. He didn't seem to like it when I mentioned Ken coming to Sweet Amoris."

Her mother stroked back a loose strand of long, jet-black hair and gave her a supportive smile. "Never mind him, _okhin_ **[3]**. You know how he feels about how a boy should really be."

Oyuun nodded. Her father's ideas on 'how a boy should really be' sounded better aligned with the strict regimen of the military, or the rigors of tribal life on the plains. In Oyuun's opinion, they were seriously outdated. But such ideals seemed to be a prominent thing within their family, as even Oyuun's aunts and uncles - the parents to her shaman cousins, and again, not shamans themselves - believed in them vigorously. While Oyuun didn't think Ken was all that bad, her father was afraid that his weakness might affect her somehow.

"He gets bullied even by _girls_ ," her father had once said. "That's rather pathetic if you ask me!"

 _I'm sure Ken will change in time,_ Oyuun had thought, and still did. _He just needs to learn how to stand him for himself a little more._

"Well, I'll let you continue your homework," her mother finally said, and left.

"Ok, _Eje._ "

Eventually, Oyuun finished everything. It took around an hour or two, but it was worth it. She looked at the clock; the time was around six. _I need to relax,_ she thought as she stretched her arms. _Hmm, what should I do...Ah, but wait,_ she checked herself, _I have to go see if Eje or Aav_ **[4]** _need my help first_ _._

Oyuun stretched again before rising up from her chair. She shuffled her homework together, went into her room to put it in her backpack, and was about to go to the kitchen to help her mother prepare dinner when her cell phone suddenly rang.

 _Someone's calling?_ she wondered, and went over to look at the number. _Why, it's Ken! Just after Eje and I were talking about him._

Oyuun unplugged the phone from its charger and picked up the call. Things were still awkward between her and Ken, but she didn't want to lose their friendship and frankly, neither did he.

" _Baina uu_?" she asked into the phone. That was how one usually said 'hello' on the phone in Mongolian, and it became something of a tradition between the two of them to say it when picking up each other's calls.

"Oyuun!" Ken's voice sounded much cheerier than it had back at the gardening club.

"Hey Kentin. What's up?"

"Oh, I just...I was just...well, I..." Ken sounded too happy for words. Oyuun guessed that he had been frantic over whether she'd pick up the phone or not. And she was soon proved right. "Oh, Oyuun, I'm so happy! I was afraid you'd ignore my call!"

"Well, Ken, I always check my phone..."

"It's just, you weren't talking to me all day today...and you were angry at me yesterday...how could I _not_ be worried?"

Oyuun sighed. "You know why! Anyways, what did you call for?"

"I...well, I wanted to say sorry."

"For?"

"For lying about us to Amber."

Oyuun suddenly felt shameful for treating him the way she did, especially since the reason behind his phone call was now clear. Her mouth opened to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. In the end, she bit down on her lower lip and stayed silent.

"It's too late to take back what I said about my feelings for you," Ken continued, "both to Amber and Iris. I only hope that it hasn't ruined our friendship. I know you'd probably feel a little awkward...but if anything, I still want us to be friends. I do still want you as a girlfriend," he added hurriedly, and the frankness of the statement made Oyuun frown, "but if that pushes you away from me, then I'd rather we still be friends."

"Ken..."

"I know you're still angry with me, Oyuun, but believe me."

Something struck her mind then, a question she wanted answered. "Ken, if you felt that way about me before...why didn't you tell me? Why wait until now?"

Ken gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh, you see, I'd planned to before, but you were moving and I thought it'd the last I saw of you. So when I saw you again at the same school, I didn't want to lose that chance."

 _Awkward, much?_ But that was only a sarcastic remark. Inside, she'd felt relieved. Perhaps not as panicked as Ken but still, relieved. "Thank you, Ken. Give me some time and I'll forget all about this incident."

"Heehee," Ken chuckled, more confidently this time. "Friends again?"

"Friends again."

"Yay! Oh my gosh, Oyuun, you've really made my day! Ok, I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

"You too."

" _Bayartai,_ Oyuun!" Their little tradition also included goodbyes.

" _Bayartai,_ Ken."

* * *

"So..." Dajan said as the other members of the basketball club crowded around her, Castiel included. "Um, Oyuun, is it? Uh...you like basketball?"

Oyuun felt so awkward and dumb standing in the midst of a bunch of boys while dressed in a jersey and shorts of her own. They were obviously tailored for a smaller and shorter person than the average basketball player, but even then, she had to wear a T-shirt underneath her jersey because of its low arm holes. It was a lucky thing that they were ever found for her to wear at all.

"Er, yeah," she answered stiffly.

Castiel smirked. "So, how's it feel now that you're a part of us?"

Oyuun fiddled a little with her hair, which she'd tied back into a simple ponytail. "It feels rewarding," she lied.

"You've always loved basketball?" Dajan asked again for the third time.

"Yes, I have," Oyuun answered. "And I..." _Oh crap!_ she lamented mentally. _I forgot to read up on the rules! What am I supposed to do now?_ "...well, my parents never really approved of basketball as a sport for girls," she lied. "So I wasn't able to learn much about it. I played several times in middle school, and I, um, liked it. I...I signed up here hoping to learn, and play more..."

There was silence for a while and Oyuun thought she could hear crickets chirping.

"Welcome to the club, then," Dajan said at last.

Oyuun pulled off a smile, but it wasn't without its own insincerity. Her interview with the basketball club president just finished without Iris' help and frankly, without the privacy she had first imagined. Dajan turned out to be its president and just when he was beginning to talk to her, almost every single one of the basketball club members made a point in being present to listen to their every word.

 _The things I do as a shaman,_ Oyuun thought with an inner sigh of despair. She could almost swear that she felt the Abjiya laughing at her from the talisman, which didn't make things any better.

"Well, before we begin," Dajan started, "one thing about basketball is that you can't wear any jewelry or glasses while you play." His eyes fell upon her talisman. "So, you'll have to take off your necklace."

Oyuun felt as if he had bashed cymbals on both sides of her head. The Abjiya resonated a similarly shocked aura. "Uh...But...really?"

"Sorry, Oyuun, but it's absolutely necessary."

Oyuun looked down at the animal bone talisman. She honestly didn't know what to do as she looked at it; the Abjiya didn't seem to be giving off any helpful hints, either; so in the end, to abide by the rules, Oyuun reluctantly slid the necklace off and put it away in her backpack in the girl's locker room.

 _I feel naked,_ she remarked to herself as she came back to the group, her neck now bare and no talisman resting on her chest. _Especially since the Abjiya told me to keep it on. But I can't argue with the club rules...So I'll just have to look after myself..._

"That wasn't so hard to do, now was it, Butt-saikhan?" Castiel teased.

"Quit it, Castiel," Dajan chided when he saw Oyuun preparing to protest. "You said yourself yesterday that Amber couldn't be believed. Why do you keep using the nickname that she made up?"

"That picture was comedy gold. It doesn't really have anything to do with what's true or what's false."

"Castiel..."

"Look, it's not like I'm bullying her or anything. The guys here repeat it every day too, so don't single me out."

As Oyuun scanned the crowd, the rest of the boys either turned sheepishly away, whistled indistinct tunes, or scratched the backs of their necks nervously.

"This is ridiculous, man!" Dajan exclaimed with exasperation. "Can't we all just-"

"Dajan," Oyuun interrupted. "It's ok...I'll do my best to ignore it. It doesn't really mean anything, anyway." She willed herself to stuff away her hatred of the dumb nickname in lieu of the more important reason for her presence in the club. There was no room for distractions, especially if the Abjiya couldn't be with her.

"That's not an excuse to let it continue, though," Dajan protested, just as much to Oyuun as to everyone else in the club. "Bullying's bad, man. I thought we all knew that. So we oughta be the bigger people here and not condone it, even if it seems like it's just a nickname that means nothing."

The shaman girl blinked and looked at the club president in surprise. He smiled back at her and she felt touched that he cared enough about her to defend against the nickname.

The other members dispersed without a look back. Most of them moved into their own groups and started personal conversations, but Castiel went off to the side and went about his business alone. Oyuun tried to ignore how lonely he seemed, at least to her, and kept reminding herself that he still called her "Butt-saikhan" even when she didn't like it, and that he thought her hair was dyed when it clearly wasn't. _Aha, that's one hole in his reasoning,_ she thought. _He said Amber was full of lies, but he readily_ _believed what she and her friends wrote about my hair._ _So why should he even deserve the least bit of pity from me?_

She put that in another corner of her mind, though, when Dajan pulled her aside to the hoop opposite the other players. He asked someone to pass him a ball and caught it as it ended its smooth, arcing flight.

"Ok," he began with the ball under his arm. "I'm sure you've seen some basketball games before in your life. Tell me what you know so far about the sport."

Oyuun fiddled with her ponytail as she tried to think of what to say. "I know that each team has to try and get their ball into the opponent's hoop. And even though they do get the ball through the hoop, the ball is switched between teams after every score." She thought some more, and said, "The ball can only be taken across the court by dribbling it or by passing it on to another player. And I think that's about it."

Dajan nodded. "All right, you got it pretty good." He took the ball in both his hands and proceeded to throw it out to Oyuun, who caught it awkwardly in her arms. "Ah, but your catch is pretty weak."

"That throw _was_ a little sudden..."

"Sorry," Dajan apologized, "but this I think should be where our lesson begins. See, in basketball, you don't catch the ball in your arms. You catch it with your hands out, like this." He put his hands up, fingers pointing outward, the thumbs almost touching. "Kind of like you're stopping it. That way, it doesn't hit you as bad and you can still keep your balance for whatever you're going to do next. The same rule applies to throwing it. You throw it with your hands on the ball's sides just like you do when you catch it."

"Like this?" Oyuun adjusted her hands to match Dajan's description.

"Good!" he congratulated her. "Now all you gotta do is push out from your palms and with your fingers to get the right trajectory."

Oyuun did it as he said, and at first it slipped rigidly from her fingers. On the second try, though, the ball sailed effortlessly back into Dajan's hands. "Oh," she said. "That makes it much easier."

Dajan nodded. "Now, let's try catching it again."

Oyuun put her hands out like Dajan had taught her, and when he threw the ball she was able to catch it like he did.

Dajan looked at her progress with approval. "This is good," he remarked. "Here, we'll just keep practicing on your catch and throw for today so you can get used to it."

 _Whoopee,_ Oyuun thought a little sarcastically. _That sounds fun._ But to Dajan, all she said was "Ok."

They went ahead and played catch for a little while, stopping several times so Dajan could direct the club for a bit. Oyuun took some of the opportunities to 'use' the bathroom (when in reality, she was just checking it again) and check the supply closet. There were still no presences in each. It was a real bummer, however, that she couldn't go up to the emcee room because it was off-limits.

 _And sneaking into the boy's bathroom and locker room would be a taboo,_ she reasoned. _E_ _veryone will make fun of me again if they caught me snooping around those rooms._

So, there had to be a better way, right? Luckily for Oyuun, she _did_ come prepared.

While she and Dajan were still practicing on the catching-and-throwing exercises, she pretended to need the bathroom again and apologized to him profusely.

"You sure need the bathroom a lot," Dajan remarked, as though he suspected her of something.

She tried to act natural. "I can't help it if I drank a lot of water. Please, Dajan. I really need to..."

He laughed it off and waved her away. "I was just kidding. Go ahead, I ain't stopping you. It's good that you're drinking lots of water."

She rushed across the court and into the girl's locker room as quickly as though she really did have an emergency. Oyuun quickly opened her backpack took a grab at some burnt herbs she'd prepared beforehand as well as her talisman, and then rushed into the bathroom. Settling herself into a stall, she set the talisman on a purse hook and made a connection to the Abjiya.

 _Abjiya,_ she called out, _tell me if my way is clear. I need to reach the emergency exit at the end of the hall, but I don't want anyone spying on me._

She waited for a while and was delighted when she was answered back. _I'll block the hall for you momentarily,_ the Abjiya said. _But you must be quick, both in going_ _out and in returning. I trust that you're going to put up some wards now?_

_Yes, Abjiya, that's just what I'm thinking of doing.  
_

_All right then, young one, go!  
_

Oyuun, her fist full of fragrant burnt herbs, opened the bathroom door ever-so-cautiously. The talisman would stay behind the stall door, since there really was no point in bringing it along, and she needed the Abjiya to look after the hall for her. So she slid out, leaving the Abjiya behind, and made a quick run for the emergency exit. True to her word, the Abjiya successfully blocked the hall, for not one of the club members noticed her movement. She placed a small door blocker between the door so it wouldn't close completely on her, then exited.

Once outside, she took a moment to make sure all the herbs were in her hand, and then began to stand still. Her fist opened up until she was simply holding the herbs in her palm. They stayed perfectly still even though a breeze blew by. Smoke began to rise from them, and a few turned orange-red with heat; they were being burnt again by shamanic power. Her eyes closed, her mind focused, her breathing slowed...until, a single yet sudden whisper came from her lips that broke the silence. "Wind of the plains," she spell-chanted, "scatter these leaves."

The breeze that had blown before suddenly increased in speed and swept the smoking herbs away, almost as if an invisible hand snatched them from Oyuun. Her eyes opened then to track the movements of the little burnt leaves, and she was pleased to see that they were distributed evenly over the perimeter of the gymnasium. A few moments later, the wind died down and the herbs were in place. Oyuun closed her eyes again, focused once more, and releasing some of her _buyanhishig,_ or energy, declared these words in Mongolian. " _The ward is set; demon,_ _you're trapped!_ "

A burst of shamanic power echoed throughout the school grounds. Only those who were spiritually sensitive could feel it; otherwise, it went undetected. Oyuun could feel it especially, all around the gymnasium. A timed ward was convenient in cases where the entity in question showed up at a location sporadically. While spirits could move between locations if they wished, it was more of their habit to choose a single place as their haunt. So the _shulam_ would, in one way or another, fall into her trap. Satisfied with her work, she rushed back in through the emergency exit. She carelessly kicked the door blocker, causing it to spin off somewhere into the boy's locker room, and hurried back into the bathroom to retrieve the talisman.

 _All clear,_ the Abjiya reported. _No one suspected anything._

 _Thank you, Abjiya,_ she replied.

 _I should be able to locate the shulam now,_ she thought to herself. _It cannot hide anywhere else but the gym, and I've set the ward to close in on it more and more every day. Then it will have no choice but to leave if it wants to live. Problem solved._

She hurried to put the talisman away in her backpack again and rushed back out to the basketball court. She hadn't known or even suspected, though, that during her ward-setting a player had gotten hurt and was the center of attention by all the club. No wonder no one noticed her.

Oyuun came up to the crowd and pushed her way to the front. When she got there to see who it was, she was duly surprised to find out that it was none other than Castiel.

He was gripping his stomach and twisting his face in such pain that Oyuun at first thought that someone hit him in the stomach with a basketball. But when she was about to ask what happened, his gray eyes settled on her golden ones and she was suddenly thrown back; literally, with a burst of air, as if a giant wind had pushed her.

Oyuun skidded on the basketball floor on her behind, of all places. When the momentum ceased, she toppled down onto her back and lay that way for several seconds, too shaky to get up on her own.

 _What?_ She was very confused. _What the...what just happened?_

The rest of the club were even more mystified than she was. Everyone stared at her in shock for a while before going into an uproar about what happened. Some of them blamed Castiel, but others began blaming each other. Eventually, Dajan had to yell to get them all to be quiet.

Oyuun spoke up before anyone could do anything else. "Uh, I'm ok...Nothing wrong...really, I just...that must have been the air conditioner or something." She sat up and saw everyone staring back at her. Ignoring them, she got back to her feet and tried to pretend her fall didn't affect her. "So, Castiel, are you all right? What happened?"

Castiel looked up at her from his spot on the ground, and then coolly lifted himself up. "My stomach suddenly hurt, that's all. I must've eaten something bad."

Oyuun stared after him as he shrugged his way through the other players, and she couldn't help but sense something...something off... _Why does Castiel feel so strange?_ she wondered. _It's almost a_ _s if...as if the ward affected him somehow._

"Well," Dajan said with a loud clap to get everyone's attention. "Now that that's settled, everyone should go back to what they were doing. Come on, Oyuun, we'll continue with our practicing."

"Coming," Oyuun called to him, but she still stayed rooted to the spot, looking after Castiel's burly form as he made his way to the boy's bathroom. A few seconds later, she moved to join Dajan, but she couldn't help thinking that she'd accidentally started something rather catastrophic.

* * *

Oyuun worked up a sweat when practice was over. Dajan ended up changing plans midway in their drill and got her to do some basic offensive and defensive moves back and forth against him, and considering how he was practically a pro, it was no wonder she became tired. But he was lenient, so though the club was still playing, he excused her early.

"Remember to drink plenty of water, eat well, and get enough sleep," he called after her as she left, parroting their physical ed teachers, "so you can come back with enough energy!"

 _I'm certainly not going to forget my sleep,_ she thought as she wearily made her way to a bench in the school courtyard. She'd already changed back to her regular clothes and re-braided her hair, so that no one but the basketball club would remember seeing her in those ridiculous jersey and shorts. She stuffed those into her cubby in the locker room, where she also kept her P.E. clothes and tennis shoes.

But what was more important was that she was wearing her talisman again. The Abjiya was happy to see her as well, as she could tell from the aura that the necklace emanated.

 _I should just go home soon,_ she thought, _if I'm not going to do anything else...the clubs end in an hour. There's not much of a point in staying. The shulam should be taken care of for now, and-  
_

Someone suddenly settled down to sit next to her, breaking her out of her thoughts. As she turned her head to take a look, she was delighted to see that it was Jade. He had on a friendly smile and a fresh bottle of water in his gloved hand.

"Hey Jade," Oyuun greeted him.

"Hello Oyuun." He pushed the bottle in his hand towards her. "Here, this is for you."

Oyuun blinked at the bottle as she held it in her hands. "What...really? Where did you get it?"

"I got it a moment ago at the vending machine in the cafeteria. I just didn't think you'd come out early."

Oyuun blushed, unable to believe that someone had really used up some of their own money to get her something, even if it was just a water bottle from a vending machine. Then she realized how imposing that made her seem. "Oh, Jade, I really can't...not without paying you back..."

Jade chuckled lightheartedly. "Relax, it was only a dollar. Think of it as a gift."

"No, I can't do that, that'd be unfair." She began fishing around her backpack for some money. "I have a dollar here, just wait while I get it."

But Jade put a firm hand on her arm, although he withdrew it quickly when he realized that he'd gotten dirt on her sleeve. "It's ok, Oyuun, you don't have to do that. If you want to repay me, though, why don't you come with me right now? I'd like to show you something."

Oyuun stopped and looked right into his green eyes, which she suspected were hiding some kind of surprise. "All right. If it's a favor you want of me, then I'll gladly do it."

Jade smiled. "A little one. Come on. And drink some water as you go; you can't leave yourself dehydrated."

She shouldered her backpack and stood up to follow him. They walked a little ways down the path to the greenhouse, where Ken appeared to be waiting for them.

"Oyuun!" Ken called out excitedly. "Come look at this!"

Oyuun looked from Ken to Jade and back, but Jade just nodded and nudged her forward. He followed behind her the entire way, and stayed at her back when she reached her destination. That destination turned out to be the corner with the _oboo,_ and Oyuun felt herself growing more and more surprised as she stared at the more comely and bigger pile of stones and long tree branches, now decorated with flowers and vines. Offerings of chip bags lay at the bottom of the _oboo_ as well, and she was growing pleased to see that it was looking more like a real _oboo_ than it had before (though it was still below the average height and frankly, still lopsided).

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed.

"The whole gardening club put an effort to it," Ken explained. "We spent some time transferring our vines and flowers onto the branches, but it was worth it! And Oyuun, guess what?"

"What?"

"Some of our members put out milk here at lunch, and when we came to our club today, it was gone!"

Oyuun's eyes widened at that, and she looked to Jade for an explanation.

Jade shrugged. "I don't know about that, really, but I'd like to think it was the nature spirit."

Oyuun turned back to the _oboo_ and walked up to it, searching for a presence. As she put her hand upon the stones, a small pinprick of spiritual energy permeated from within and fell within range of her senses. _A real gazriin ezen,_ she thought. _Very weak and small..but actually here..._ When she turned back, a full smile was upon her face.

"This is wonderful!" she exclaimed. "You're doing everything right! And yes, I'd like to believe it was the _gazriin ezen_ too."

"It _must_ be," Ken insisted.

Oyuun smiled and, remembering the water bottle, opened it and took her first sip. That was when she realized how thirsty she was and ended up emptying the bottle by half.

Jade chuckled. "I told you that you'd need it."

"Thanks, Jade," she said once she was finished. "And thanks, Ken. It really made my day. Tell you what, keep me updated on the _oboo_ 's progress. I'd like to see it grow and house a strong _gazriin ezen_." _The contrast of a good presence versus a bad one,_ she thought, _can really help me in locating and preventing more shulam from entering school grounds._

Ken looked as though he were ready to shoot off into the sky. Jade simply nodded.

"All right, I have to go now. See you, guys!"

"See you, Oyuun!" Ken said with a wave.

"See you tomorrow," Jade smiled.

Oyuun turned around and made her way around the greenhouse to get back on the courtyard path. She was so happy, she ended up humming a tune to herself. Luckily no one was around, so the only ones to hear it were the Abjiya and herself.

She didn't expect to, but she soon felt another presence, just like that of the _gazriin ezen'_ s. Only, it wasn't a good one like the _gazriin ezen'_ s. Oyuun paused in her tracks for a moment as she realized it was a _shulam;_ but whether it was the same one from the gymnasium, she couldn't tell. It was clouded in so much dark energy that the most she could get from it was that was similar in age to the one in the gym.

Curious, she walked towards its intimidating aura for a while until she heard voices.

"...must sign this, Castiel, you cut class again."

"So you're going to try and make me sign it now? What happened to using vulnerable new girls to do it?"

 _Castiel and Nathaniel?_ Oyuun was confused.

Nathaniel gave a _tsk_. "Last time I tried that, she almost got hurt."

"As if that was my fault," Castiel retorted.

Oyuun frowned. _They're talking about the form I tried to make Castiel sign. And they sound angry._ She tip-toed around the corner until she could see them, facing each other and not looking very happy.

"This is your duty as a legally independent student," Nathaniel stated matter-of-factly. "If I were you, I would have been a man and accepted my responsibilities."

"Same goes for you," Castiel shot back. "I wouldn't have involved a girl in this."

"I didn't force her, she volunteered!"

"Oh, is that so? Didn't she slap you and make you angry?"

"I was slapped, but I wasn't angry. I don't lose my temper, unlike you."

Castiel made a sudden grab for the student body president's collar. "What'd you say?"

"I don't lose my temper," Nathaniel repeated. "Unlike you. Isn't that what happened that day, when the hoop fell?"

"It wasn't me," Castiel stated firmly. "And it wasn't any of the other basketball club members."

"That's hard to believe."

"Damn you," Castiel cursed. "I guess you're itching to see what happens when I'm pissed off?"

"Try it, if you're willing," Nathaniel challenged.

 _Oh...Oh no!_ Oyuun was shocked. _They're going to fight!_ Then she remembered the _shulam_ she'd sensed, but when she tried sensing it again it was gone. _Oh, who cares? Something more important is about to happen!_

Castiel swung back to throw the first punch when Oyuun emerged from where she'd been listening.

"Stop it!" she cried, and jumped in between them; Nathaniel was at her back, and Castiel was right in front of her. The latter nearly punched her, but miraculously swerved in time.

"What the heck!?" he cried out. "Oyuun! What're you doing here? I almost hit you!"

Nathaniel was just as shocked. "Why did you come here?"

Oyuun couldn't even believe what she did herself. It was the most impulsive thing she'd ever done in her life. "Well what are you doing, accepting a fight?" she countered at Nathaniel. "You're the student body president!"

Nathaniel looked guilty, but didn't back down. "Still, Oyuun, this is something that is between the administration and Castiel."

"Administration, my ass," Castiel swore. "I haven't seen one administration bastard on my case all day; just one butthurt little nerd."

"That kind of language isn't allowed here!" Nathaniel scolded him.

He might as well have been in vain. Oyuun realized that, too, but she had no time to be chiding them both. There had to be a way to solve the problem without letting them fall back into a fight.

"Listen, Castiel," she entreated him. "You shouldn't cut class anymore. You won't have any papers to sign if you do. And fighting to solve a problem...that's just like smashing a hammer into a TV to fix it. It won't do anything necessary for you."

Castiel's cold gray eyes glared down at hers. "Trying to act the good part, aren't you, Ms. Dyed Hair?"

Oyuun flinched. "My hair is _not_ dyed," she said firmly.

"Yeah, well, until you can prove that, stay out of this."

Oyuun couldn't believe how petty he was being. He knew what bothered her, she was loathe to admit, and it was working. "Castiel, my hair doesn't have anything to do with this! All I'm asking of you is not to fight."

Nathaniel put a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, Oyuun, I can handle this from here. He'll only try and dissuade you again."

"But, Nathaniel..."

"He told you to go, Butt-saikhan," Castiel interjected. "You should listen to the student body president or you'll get suspended."

Oyuun's own anger flared at Castiel's usage of her hated nickname again. "Maybe _you're_ the one who should listen to him! Me? I'm sick and tired of you calling me by that ridiculous nickname Amber gave me!"

"Oyuun, don't let him get to you," Nathaniel said. "Now, please, just go-"

"Cut me some slack," Castiel said mockingly. "It's a lot easier to pronounce than the real way."

Oyuun almost retorted but held herself back in time. _No, if I get angry too, nothing will be finished._ She took a deep breath and gripped her talisman to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, Abjiya," she said low under her breath. "I almost lost my temper. I won't next time."

Nathaniel and Castiel couldn't have heard what she said, but they did hear her muttering to herself. Castiel gave a smirk and crossed his arms, looking smug. "Yeah, talk to your necklace. That'll sure solve everything."

 _...but he is really getting on my nerves,_ she thought.

"Castiel, stop bothering her," Nathaniel ordered.

"Make me." He yawned and turned to leave. "I've got a club to get back to. See if you can stop me then."

Nathaniel stared after him begrudgingly, his eyes frowning at the redhead's back in disapproval. Oyuun, meanwhile, looked up from the talisman and sensed the same off-beat aura on him just like the one at the gym.

 _Again? And this is right after I sensed another shulam..._ her brow furrowed as she tried to piece things together. _That second shulam was hidden within a lot of negative emotions. And then I stumble upon this fight...but before that, I couldn't find the first one in the gym and Castiel got hurt when I set up the ward...could it be?_

Nathaniel sighed and shook his head. "I did my best. There's just no forcing that guy!" He turned to Oyuun and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Anyway, thanks for stopping the fight, and for reminding me of who I was. I'm sorry to have acted out so uncharacteristically. I must have alarmed you."

But Oyuun didn't even hear him. _Could it be,_ she wondered again, _that Castiel is the one that's haunted?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Yek are demons that steal corpses for food.
> 
> [2] Mongolian word for 'mother'. Pronounced "EH-jee", with a very light emphasis on the "jee".
> 
> [3] Mongolian word for 'daughter'. Pronounced "OH-kh-een"
> 
> [4] Mongolian word for father. Pronounced "AW-buh", the "buh" part being very quiet


	6. Revenge?

_Silent footsteps..._ _A sharp blade..._ _Thundering hoof beats..._ _Burning sheepskin..._ _Blood..._

_"Mother!"_

Oyuun gasped and shot up on the bed, panting heavily and breaking out in a cold sweat. Her hands trembled as she wiped her forehead. Deep inside her belly burned the horrible sensation of fear. That dream, that nightmare, it felt so real...She had not gone into the Dream World tonight, which was normal since lessons with the Abjiya didn't always occur every night. But the dream that she had was one of ancient Mongolia.

_Why would I have such a dream?_ she wondered. _A tribal raid, too..._

There was no mistaking the flurry of armed horsemen and mounted archers setting fire to almost every yurt in the close-knit community. Oyuun had dreamt of the raid through another man's eyes, watching as he frantically ran away from his pursuers and hid in his own yurt with his mother. But someone had been waiting inside beforehand to ambush them, and their knife glinted in the distant firelight. Eventually, the raiders outside caught up to them and set fire to the yurt they were in. Then the chased man sat helpless, cradling his bleeding mother and watching as her killer dropped his knife and fled the burning yurt.

And then...

_I think he died,_ Oyuun concluded. _Everything turned black after that._ _But who is he? And why would I have this dream?_

She shook her head and plopped back down onto the bed. She tried to close her eyes again to sleep, but the persistent fear kept her from doing so. She had not only dreamed the scene through the man's eyes, but also his body. Every panicked heartbeat he felt echoed again in her own chest, every tendril of smoke he breathed clouded her own lungs, and every single tear he shed fell from her own eyes...

_Oh, I was crying too,_ Oyuun realized as she touched the rim of her eyes. They were wet and hot as though she had really cried her heart out, and her cheeks were streaked with their tears.

She looked over to the clock on her nightstand to see what time it was. Her eyes were still blurry, but after a moment of focusing, the time clearly showed itself to be five in the morning.

_Eje and Aav will wake up in another thirty minutes,_ Oyuun thought, _while I don't normally wake up until an hour later. But I can't go back to sleep. That dream really scared me._

Oyuun threw the blanket off and slid from the bed, resolving to just wake up and start the day a little early. She didn't feel like going back to sleep, not after such a horrible nightmare.

After she finished making her bed, the young shaman tip-toed out the room and across the hallway to the bathroom. She hurriedly brushed her teeth and washed her face so that she could go back to her room and dress up for the day.

Soon she was ready, minus the braided hair. But before she could get to that, she looked at the time again and realized it was only 5:19. What would she do until then? Usually, when she woke up at six, her mother would already have breakfast done for her and all she'd needed to do was eat it with her parents, wash the dishes, watch some TV with her father, and then walk to school at seven.

_Hmm. I can't do anything much without waking Eje and Aav up too early. So..._ She glanced all about her room, darkened by the bleak morning sky and shuttered blinds. Eventually, as her eyes wandered towards the back of her room, the mounted taxidermy wood owl perched atop her shelf, which also served as the spirit house of her owl spirit helper, Bataar, almost seemed to blink its wide yellow eyes at her the longer she stared. The normally motionless owl then started to fidget and rustle until Oyuun gave in and called the spirit helper out to her.

A translucent wood owl emerged from the taxidermy mount and landed on her shoulder. A normal person wouldn't have seen it, as it was a spirit, but then again Oyuun wasn't normal.

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted. "Oyuun! Up early?"

"Yes, Bataar," Oyuun answered. "What is it that you want?"

Bataar shifted from foot to foot on the young shaman girl's shoulder. "You know what we should do! Hoo! You can't leave it undone!"

Oyuun thought that maybe he was referring to the _shulam_ that she'd found at her school. She'd told him about it, and also Shria and Qara; after all, they were her three most powerful helpers; but then she remembered that they couldn't do much about it because her parents forbade her to bring them to school.

"What is it?" she then asked him.

"Hoo! You moved here but you never bothered to explore the town. We should take this opportunity, hoo!"

Oyuun thought about it for a moment. Well, she did need a walk to clear her head of that nightmare. Her house wasn't so far from the town, either; otherwise, how could she manage to walk to school every morning? Also, her parents wouldn't be angry. She was fifteen now and rarely went places, which kind of bothered them.

"All right," she agreed, "tell Shria and Qara about it. We'll all go together."

Bataar flapped around most gratefully before flying straight through her closed door. He was going to her _sheree_ next to the family's _hoimor,_ where Shria and Qara's skins were kept. A spirit helper's spirit house was usually the animal's full skin that it wore in life. In Bataar's case, since birds can't be skinned, it was his stuffed body. A traditional shaman would have worn the skins on his or her robes, literally carrying their helpers everywhere they went, but Oyuun couldn't afford to do that out in public. Instead, she'd plucked a little fur from Shria and Qara and three feathers from Bataar, and strung those on a bracelet. That way, she could just wear it on her wrist and still bring her spirit helpers along without looking ridiculous.

When Bataar entered the room again with a sprightly little Mongolian red fox spirit and a stoic black wolf spirit, Oyuun had already put her bracelet on, linking them now to her wherever she went. She hadn't bothered putting on the Abjiya's talisman because where she was going, she'd still be close to home.

"Ooh, we get to explore, explore!" Shria, the red fox, exclaimed excitedly.

"I wonder if we'll run into _shulam_ in town," Qara, the black wolf, muttered.

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted. "We must go!"

"Wait," Oyuun entreated them, and went to fetch some paper and a pen. "I'll leave _Eje_ and _Aav_ a note telling where I went. I don't want them to wake up looking for me."

She then sat down at her desk to write a quick message. _Woke up at five. Couldn't sleep. Walking around town; will be back for quick breakfast. Oyuunchimeg._

"There," she said, and presented the note to her spirit helpers. "I'm just going to put it on their nightstand and then we'll go."

Oyuun hurried out her door and sneaked into her parent's bedroom, where they were still asleep. They would wake up in another ten minutes or so, but she'd be out of the house before then. So, as carefully as possible, the young shaman laid the note face up on their nightstand and tip-toed out.

"Ok guys," she told her spirit helpers when she returned. She grabbed her satchel and slung it across her shoulders. "I got it done. Let's go!"

* * *

The walk to town was, as predicted, short and quick. But it was totally worth it. Oyuun got to see what her side of the town looked like, even though most of the stores weren't open yet. There were people, either jogging or walking or setting up shop, so she wasn't physically alone.

The young shaman began walking a little ways down the street to find a good place to watch the dawn. The buildings weren't too tall, so the sky was still visible. She was just walking when a strange man opened the door to his shop and surprised her.

The thing that surprised her about this man was that he was dressed in complete Victorian fashion. His hair was elegantly combed and his clothes were neatly smoothed out, betraying a luxurious grace. Oyuun felt confused, for that strange encounter almost made her think that a real Victorian era gentleman had literally escaped from the past. She stood frozen to the spot, her golden eyes transfixed upon the man, and her mind wondering whether she was seeing things or not.

"Good morning, young lady," the man greeted in a suave voice when he noticed her staring. He bowed politely before her and smiled. "We are closed but will soon open within a few hours."

Oyuun stared at the Victorian man for a while, and then up at the shop's sign: _Ainsworth Clothing Shoppe._ Mannequins wearing fashionable clothes were set up in display at the window, visible to whoever looked in. She then turned to him and tried to respond as normally as possible, "Oh, uh, good morning. What kind of clothes do you sell?"

The man continued smiling. "We have just about everything that should fit a young girl's fancy, but we also do custom made-to-order Victorian costumes as well."

_That sounds expensive._ "I guess I'll go check it out after school today."

"My pleasure." The man looked at her curiously for a moment, before asking, "Are you a Sweet Amoris student, by any chance?"

Qara gestured for Oyuun to wait before replying and stepped tentatively forward to take a sniff at the man. "Oyuun," the wolf remarked, "he has a relative that attends your school. I think that relative has told him about you." Qara's nose could sniff out more than just scents; it could pick up the auras of other people, and the auras of the places that those people usually frequented. In this case, he was able to make a connection using the aura of the man's relative.

Oyuun looked down to where Qara was standing, though to the man it looked like she was glancing briefly down at the pavement. She looked up again and said, "Yes, I am. How did you know?"

"Just a guess."

"Do you have family going there too?" Oyuun asked him, thinking of Qara's discovery.

The man looked shocked. "Why...yes, how did _you_ know? Or have you already met Lysander?"

"Just a guess," Oyuun said, parroting his words.

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, before shrugging and saying goodbye. "Well, have a nice day, young lady. Do be sure to come by some time." Then he left, and so did Oyuun, with Shria and Qara in tow.

"I don't think I've met anyone at our school with the last name of 'Ainsworth' before," Oyuun remarked as she walked. "How could his relative have known about me?"

Qara seemed confident as he answered, "He's probably seen you. Or someone has told him about you. That Iris girl, or Castiel, or maybe even Amber."

_Oh yeah,_ Oyuun thought, _he must've seen the pictures Amber put up. No wonder he told his relative. Ugh, they must've laughed about it...  
_

Shria sensed Oyuun's displeasure and sprang happily around her feet in circles. "Come on Oyuun, forget about the negativity! Let's just enjoy ourselves now."

Oyuun sighed. "Yes, thank you, Shria."

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted. "School sounds horrible for you, Oyuun! Wish we could come with you."

"But that wouldn't make things any better," Oyuun pointed out. "You guys are going to get me in trouble, especially you, Shria. No offense."

"None taken," Shria returned, "because you're right. Hmph, if I was there when that pompous Amber put up those pictures, I'd have given her a good mauling."

Qara snorted in disdain. "You can be so petty sometimes. That blonde fool isn't worth all that energy."

Oyuun laughed at Qara's statement. "You got _that_ right."

Oyuun had been so taken up in her conversation with her spirit helpers that she didn't notice someone's voice screaming in the distance. "Demon!" the person had yelled. A little while later, "Demon!" After another few seconds, "Demon!" And then, much closer, "DEMON, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

_Demon?_ Oyuun whirled around and turned her head left and right; in her surprise, she'd forgotten that there was no way a normal person would have been able to see a demon to warn about one. Shria and Bataar seemed caught up in the times like their shaman master was, too, but Qara knew the truth, as his continued stoic composure belied.

"Demon? Where, where?" Shria shrieked.

Bataar hopped up and down on Oyuun's shoulder. "Demons in the town! Demons in the town!"

But they were soon proved wrong when Qara suddenly leapt in front of Oyuun in a defensive stance. "Stand back!" he ordered to his shaman master, and she had not the time to register things when a very big brown dog with its leash trailing after it emerged from around the corner and came snout-to-snout with a very angry Qara. The dog seemed surprised at first but quickly recovered and began to snarl and bark at Qara, who growled and bared his fangs.

Some people were beginning to notice the commotion and looked away from whatever they were doing to see what was going on. They couldn't see Qara, so all they witnessed was the strange dog barking aggressively at Oyuun a few feet away from her. The staring made her feel awkward as well as rushed, so she tried to coax Qara. "Peace!" she demanded in Mongolian. "Qara, make peace!"

Qara whirled his head around to give Oyuun an incredulous expression, but turned back to the dog to negotiate with him in the incorrigible canine language.

The dog's owner soon showed up, though, and grabbed at its leash with enraged ferocity. "Demon, you bad boy!" he scolded. Demon, who turned out to be the dog, whimpered and cowered at his owner's feet. He was swatted in the behind several times as punishment, but that seemed almost enough to make him pee himself.

"Sorry for this," his owner apologized while rising up to meet Oyuun. "Demon's not usually mean to people."

Oyuun would have answered with the typical, "Oh it's ok, I'm fine," but a lump in her throat stayed her words. And that was because...

...Demon's owner turned out to be Castiel.

The redhead's gray eyes widened as he recognized the white haired girl he kept making fun of at school. "Oyuun?"

Qara, Shria, and Bataar all looked to their shaman master. Oyuun saw their eyes on her, but tried to ignore them as she answered, "Er, Castiel...hi..." At that same moment, a flash from her nightmare suddenly came in between her eyes. She frowned and tried to push it away, thinking that maybe it was just a bit of sleepiness that made her remember it.

Castiel kept staring at her until Demon started wagging his tail and pulling against the leash, apparently noticing Oyuun for the first time. When the redhead saw her draw back a step, he assured her, "Don't worry, Demon wants to make friends with you now."

_...wants to make friends?_ Oyuun couldn't believe that such innocent words were coming from the mouth of a punk who'd just picked a fight the other day. And yet, she still felt a little edgy around Demon. In fact, she was edgy around most dogs, because of the reactions they had towards her spirit helpers and her spiritual energy. That was because dogs, like other animals, could sense things most humans couldn't; but unlike other animals, dogs would quickly resort to violence and aggression to deal with them.

"It's fine," Qara reassured her, "he's mollified now. I talked with him already."

Oyuun looked warily from Demon to Qara, but swallowed her fear and held out a tentative hand. "H-hello, Demon...I'm Oyuun."

The Belgian shepherd eagerly sniffed her hand and gave it a big lick.

Oyuun wanted to squeal when she felt the slimy tongue connect with her skin, but put on her bravest face possible. "Aw, what a sweet boy...boy, right?"

Castiel nodded.

"What kind?" she asked.

"Belgian Shepherd."

When that was done, Oyuun straightened herself up and met with Castiel's indiscernible scowl. She was also trying her best to put the fight of the other day behind her, as well as his petty insults. "So, Castiel...you walk your dog this early in the morning?"

"I always do before I head to school."

"Do you walk to school?" she asked.

"No, I drive."

"Whoa!" Oyuun couldn't help but exclaim. "You can drive?"

"Of course, I'm sixteen now. What're _you_ doing out here?" Castiel asked.

_What's with the accusatory tone?_ "Just going for a walk," she replied, watching him warily.

Castiel shrugged. "Whatever. I have to get on with my walk now."

Oyuun sighed in relief. Talking to Castiel was always a bit of a pain in the butt, especially when he made that stern face of his. It made her feel as though she weren't being taken seriously, and that her words meant nothing to him. Yet when he _did_ smile...it was to mock her. Thank goodness he was leaving now.

"Unless you want to join?" he suddenly added.

Oyuun blinked, taken aback by this sudden offer. "Aren't you still angry with me for interrupting your fight?" she asked rather bluntly.

Castiel frowned. "Why would I hold a grudge against a girl?"

"But I annoyed you yesterday," she insisted. "Didn't I?"

"Not as much as Nat. You weren't the one who started it, you know."

She raised a curious eyebrow at this. _He_ _can actually be rather reasonable._ Then again, Castiel wasn't _always_ a raging bull in a china shop.

"I was just asking 'cause we're both out on a walk," he explained when she didn't say anything. "There's also something I wanted to talk to you about."

Oyuun frowned. "What is it?"

"Just come with me." Castiel turned around and tugged on the leash for Demon to follow.

The shaman girl looked to Qara for advice, but the black wolf was already padding ahead after Demon. Shria bounded after them and Bataar just flapped his wings as he adjusted his position on Oyuun's shoulder. _I guess it's ok,_ Oyuun thought, not really bothering to ask the spirits. _They're following without much trouble. But I wonder if Qara or at least Shria sensed something about Castiel? Yesterday, I got such strange vibes from him..._

Oyuun followed last, taking short and tentative steps. Her thoughts became entangled around Castiel's strange behavior, and what he possibly would want with her at the moment. Then there was also the _shulam_ and offbeat aura sensed around him when he became angry at Nathaniel. And the fact that he was hurt when she put up a ward...

"Want some coffee?" he asked as they passed by a Starbucks cafe.

Oyuun snapped out of her thoughts and noticed the cafe for the first time. "Oh, uh, no thanks. I'm good. Do you want me to get you one?"

Castiel shook his head and simply tied Demon to a fire hydrant. "I'll get it myself. Just watch over Demon for me." Then he entered the cafe and left Oyuun alone with his big Belgian shepherd and her three spirit helpers.

Qara sat near the fire hydrant, losing himself in conversation with Demon. Shria came up to Oyuun, however, and whispered out to her.

"Psst," Shria hissed.

"Yes, Shria?" Oyuun asked.

"This guy, Oyuun; is he that redhead that keeps calling you Butt-"

But Shria couldn't finish, because Oyuun interrupted her out of embarrassment. "Yes, that's him."

"Why's he so nice to you all of a sudden?"

"I don't know," Oyuun answered worriedly. "But I think he wants to talk about something important. At least, that's what it feels like."

Shria nodded and moved back to sit near Qara. That explanation seemed to comfort her, although Oyuun could understand why the fox would be worried. The shaman girl was perfectly safe, though; she had her spirit helpers with her as well as the people of the town, and her cell phone was right beside her in her satchel. Only a fool would try something shifty.

Castiel exited the Starbucks with a hot cup of coffee after five minutes or so. Then, taking up Demon's leash in his free hand, he continued the walk. After taking a few sips he began the conversation. "Do you remember yesterday, when I got my stomachache?"

Oyuun nodded.

"And then you touched my shoulder and got blown back."

She cringed. "Yes, well, I couldn't understand that either..."

Castiel took a thoughtful sip and kept on looking ahead. "Then there's that time when you tried to get me to sign the absentee form and a hoop nearly fell on you."

Oyuun gave Castiel a sidelong glance. _He didn't mention the basketball I got hit with. He still thinks someone else threw that at me._ "What's your point?"

"...I don't know," he answered honestly. "I just think it's weird. I thought that maybe you'd know something about it. It's been bothering me ever since the hoop incident. I didn't say anything yesterday only because I was planning on leaving it at that...but then something strange happened again, and you get the point."

_Actually, I do know about it,_ she thought. _Not everything, but enough to know what's happening._ She turned to look at him again. _The only thing I can't grasp is, are you haunted or not?_

"Why would I know anything of that sort?" she said after a while. "I'm no psychic and I'm not superstitious. What happened was just coincidence, even if it was a little strange." _Ugh, I hate lying._

Castiel drank some more of his coffee. "I'm not the type to believe in those things either," he agreed. "I guess it was just a moment of doubt that made me ask." He saw her skeptical look from the corner of his gray eyes. "What's with that face? I would have asked you at school anyways. But now that that's done, forget I ever said anything, ok?"

_Afraid it'll ruin your reputation?_ Oyuun wondered sarcastically. But to him, she just nodded. "Ok."

He nodded back and then gave a sharp tug on Demon's leash. "See you at school," he said as he started walking away.

"That was quick," she remarked.

"I don't like to prolong things," Castiel explained, "especially when I'm the one in doubt."

"Yeah, ok, see you," she returned. She watched him leave for a few seconds and then went back through their previous line of travel, intent on going home this time.

The conversation with Castiel became heavily imprinted within her mind. Had she not met him in town today and waited to see him at school, he still would have asked her as he had implied before, but it was unsettling nonetheless to have an outsider become involved in the spiritual business. Oyuun decided that she'd have to be more careful, and that she was lucky no _shulam_ had come in between them like before.

_Shulam can be hidden in people's hearts,_ she thought, _as well as other demons. The thing is, he gives off a strange aura and a menacing presence is only felt when he's angry or just plain unhappy. Or maybe feeling pain, like when he hurt his stomach. It all leads to him being haunted, but how do I know without any tangible proof? I felt nothing while talking to him back there..._

"What are you worrying about, Oyuun?" Qara asked, speaking to her for the first time since Castiel went into Starbucks.

"Something..." She frowned. "It's something that should be left to Abjiya," she concluded.

Qara nodded stoically. "Fine. But Oyuun, I should tell you about that red haired boy..."

"What is it?"

"He is surrounded by negative energy," Qara explained. "It is based on the fundamentals of human emotion, so it's not your fault you can't sense it. You're a human too. But you know what feeds off of these kinds of energy, Oyuun."

Oyuun knew. "Ghosts, demons... _shulam_..."

Qara nodded. "And the fact that there is a _shulam_ at your school already will mean trouble. You shouldn't associate with this boy if you can help it, Oyuun. Nothing good can come of it."

Shria shivered. "He was only nice to you so he could get the reassurance he needed...how selfish."

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted. "No comment."

But Oyuun didn't care about whether Castiel was steeped in negative emotions or using her or whatever her spirit helpers were thinking. Her thoughts were centered on the _shulam,_ and whether or not there really were two or one; and whether or not it was the school or Castiel that was haunted.

_But hey,_ her inner thoughts suddenly remarked. _I just noticed...the entire time Castiel and I talked...he didn't call me Butt-saikhan._

And it was nice, for a change.

* * *

Oyuun came to school later that morning, her hair now braided and her mind still replaying the conversation she had with Castiel. It was vital that nothing strange happened between them again or people would start talking. Castiel wouldn't tell anybody, but a whole bunch of basketball club members might.

On the other hand, Castiel skipped class again and Oyuun could already imagine the trouble Nathaniel would have with him once more.

And then, at lunchtime, Amber struck her next blow. Oyuun hadn't counted on it, because the previous few days since the photo ID prank had been rather peaceful (if one didn't count the stares and secret teasing that went on behind one's back). It was a Friday, too, just a day short of the oncoming weekend...so like everyone else, Oyuun believed everything to be smooth sailing ahead.

She took her lunch in the courtyard again, but not so she could be aware of demonic presences like last time. She wanted peace and quiet, something she felt she was sorely lacking at the moment. Few students ate out here, unlike the crowd they made in the cafeteria, making it the ideal place.

Oyuun was just in the process of finishing up her lunch when a dark shadow loomed over her. She stopped eating and turned around to see who it was.

"Well, look who's eating out here," Amber greeted her with a thin smile. "I wonder what's wrong with using the cafeteria, like normal people?"

Oyuun crumpled the empty paper bag that had held her food and quickly withdrew off the bench to put some distance between her and Amber. Li and Charlotte appeared with her, making the situation twice as bad. They both laughed at the Mongolian girl's hasty movements, enjoying every bit of her nervousness.

"What do you want this time?" Oyuun asked defensively.

"Nothing much," Amber said lightly. She twirled a piece of her golden hair while casting her sea blue eyes vaguely in another direction. "Except to teach you a little lesson."

_What lesson?_ Oyuun thought exasperatedly. She looked around to see if other people were present to call for help, especially school faculty, but it was just her luck to find the courtyard completely empty.

Amber snapped a finger, and Li and Charlotte hastened over from their spots to grab Oyuun's arms.

She had to admit, they were quite the agile duo. But the one thing she regretted most was that the Abjiya's talisman was left at home... _I forgot to bring it because of that walk this morning,_ she thought in distaste.

Oyuun tried to struggle against their grip, but their hands gripped her arms tightly and their long painted fingernails dug sharply into her sleeves, inflicting pain on her skin. Eventually, she gave up and watched as Amber sauntered over with a smirk on her face.

"I wonder how it feels like, craving attention from the boys so badly that you'd join a boy-only club," the blonde began.

"The basketball club wasn't restricted to _'boys only',_ " Oyuun argued. "And anyway, what's it to you if I did join such a club?"

Li slapped her cheek, or rather, her insolence. "Quiet," she ordered.

"Don't play dumb with us, Butt-saikhan," said Amber. "Only a sore loser like you would cheat on your four-eyed boyfriend for the whole of the basketball club. Or is it...for Castiel?"

"What? Why would I...I don't like him that way!"

"That's not what it looks like," Amber insisted. "You're such an attention whore, you know, getting a hoop to fall down and knowing Castiel would push you out of the way. Then you sign up for the same club and pretend to fall back on yourself so he would notice you."

Oyuun was incredulous at how warped Amber's version of the events had become. She purposefully ignored a few key details, like how the hoop couldn't have been pushed by one person standing opposite to it and that Castiel was hurt at the same time she was blown away, or 'fallen back on herself'.

"What should we do now, Amber?" Charlotte asked.

"Take something?" Li suggested, pointing to her victim's satchel on the bench.

_Seems like I'm getting off lightly,_ Oyuun thought sarcastically, though she still felt stupid for leaving her own satchel there in her moment of haste.

"Good idea," Amber agreed, and walked over to the bench. Her manicured nails dug into the depths of the satchel as she grabbed it and fished inside for anything to take. Oyuun wanted to break out of Li and Charlotte's grasp and snatch it back from the pilfering diva...but knew she couldn't and just watched powerless from where she was held.

Amber finished and held out a crisp, ten dollar bill between her thumb and index. She looked smug, especially since she discovered that it was the last of Oyuun's allowance, and proceeded to take the extra coins. Then she flung the satchel away, not bothering to search any further.

"That should be good for now," Amber said as she put the money away. "Our little lesson has already served its purpose. Let's go, girls."

Li and Charlotte let go of Oyuun, who immediately ran up to her satchel to see if anything else was missing. _Just the money_ _,_ she realized. _But still, that was ALL the money I had!_

"Aw, don't worry," Amber reassured her mockingly. "Most of the stuff in there was too boring for me. Thanks for the money, though!" Then she and her two cronies burst out laughing triumphantly.

_Nathaniel will hear about this,_ Oyuun vowed. But she didn't dare say it out loud; she knew that if she did, they would only cause more trouble for her. So she stood and waited for them to leave, giggling and gossiping about their latest victory. They disappeared back into the school building, so Oyuun had to wait a while before reentering to avoid bumping into them again.

While she waited on the same bench, another shadow loomed over her that made her think Amber had returned. But it wasn't Amber; when Oyuun looked up, she saw a girl standing and smiling over her. Her memory began searching for who it was, and the one thing that helped was the girl's gentle brown hair with the bangs tipped in pink.

_What was her name again?_ Oyuun wondered. _I think it was something French..._

The girl smiled some more and finally spoke. "I don't think we've talked a lot," she began. Her voice was soft and slightly airy. "But you _are_ in my class."

Oyuun didn't say anything, as she was still figuring out who the girl was and what she wanted.

The girl proceeded to sit down next to her and continued giving her that coy smile. "I'm Capucine Durant...and you must be Oyuun Batsaikhan."

"Yes, that's me."

Capucine gave a little giggle. "I knew it."

Oyuun frowned in confusion. "So...do you need something, or...?"

Capucine's emerald green eyes glittered knowingly. "I saw what Amber did."

"Oh." _Maybe she wants to help me?_

"But I'm not going to report her," the other girl suddenly added.

That sounded funky. "Why? Are you friends with her?"

"Not friends. Acquaintances, rather. But we do talk."

_Uh-oh,_ Oyuun thought, warning herself. _Tread carefully in this._ "I see. So then, why are you talking to me?"

"Do you want to know why she did this?" Capucine suddenly asked.

Oyuun was taken aback for a moment, but then relented. "Do _you_ know?"

That coy smile made its way onto the girl's lips again. "Well, you see...Amber has a crush...on Castiel."

_Whoa!_ was all Oyuun could think.

"You haven't known her for as long as some people have," Capucine continued. "She's had this crush since kindergarten. It's only now, though, that she wants to take the initiative. That's why she got angry when she found out you joined the basketball club."

"But there's no reason to point fingers at me," Oyuun argued. "I mean, I don't do anything that would hint at that sort of relationship. It would make sense if maybe he and I talked on a friendly level, but trust me, we don't."

"Maybe," Capucine agreed. "But remember that Amber brought up some...choice events that happened between you two."

"That's hardly..."

"Castiel talked especially about the hoop," interrupted Capucine. "He was very concerned about you. You weren't there, so you didn't see Amber's face...she was furious..."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. _Amber is mad at me...all because of that? Would she have preferred Castiel standing by while I got crushed by the hoop? Gods, just because he helped me doesn't mean he likes me or I like him...Why is she being so petty?_

"Jealousy is a terrible thing," the other girl remarked after a moment of silence.

The way things were, Oyuun had to agree.

"That's all I can tell you for now," Capucine concluded. "It was nice speaking with you." She lifted her petite form off the bench, brushing at her pink dress ever-so-delicately. Oyuun stood up as well, as the time was now right to go see Nathaniel. But Capucine seemed to have more to say. "Oh, wait, Oyuun..."

"Yes?"

"Before you go; it's too late to change your club now, but I wouldn't give Amber any more reasons to become jealous...if you know what I mean."

"I already know that," Oyuun grumbled.

"Trying to change her mind is also out of the question," Capucine said rather mysteriously before she moved to go back into the school building.

"Wait," Oyuun called out as Capucine was walking. "You still didn't answer my question...why did you talk to me?"

That managed to stop Capucine, and she turned her head towards Oyuun. "I try to be friends with everyone," she supposed with a shrug.

Then, the bell rang.

* * *

Nathaniel was surprised to see Oyuun entering the student body council room looking very sour. He had been taking his lunch there with the other student body council members, and was also preparing to go to the next class.

"Um, excuse me," he told the other council members, "I have some business to take care of. You all may leave for class now."

They did, and that left Oyuun and Nathaniel to talk.

"So," Nathaniel started, "what brings you here? Class is starting soon."

Oyuun huffed. "I know. But there's something I have to tell you about your sister."

"Ah, Amber..." Nathaniel looked a little perplexed. "She's been acting up ever since she said she wanted to go out with Castiel."

Oyuun decided not to be surprised that he knew as well. Amber didn't exactly seem like the subtle type, anyways. "Well, it does have something to do with Castiel...she's angry at me for joining the basketball club because she thinks I joined for him."

Nathaniel folded his hands politely on his clipboard. "Go on."

"She used Li and Charlotte to hold me back while she pilfered my money!" Oyuun blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer. "Just now, right out in the courtyard! I thought she'd at least learn her lesson when you and Principal Shermansky-"

"Calm down," Nathaniel coaxed, and settled a hand on her shoulder. "What's this about Shermansky?"

"That time when Amber put up those ruined photo IDs," Oyuun reminded him. "Both you and Shermansky reprimanded her. Remember?"

Nathaniel frowned. "What? Shermansky didn't have anything to do with it."

"Then why did I hear..."

"That must have been a mistake," Nathaniel quipped. "Only I was there to take care of her. I told her that I would let it slide, since it was the beginning of the year, but I would give her a warning if it happened again _,_ and then if there was another instance, I'd take it up with Shermansky for a suspension."

_He...let...it...SLIDE?_ Oyuun could hardly believe what she was hearing. "How could you be so lenient with her? No, wait, what will you do now?"

Nathaniel put a hand in his pocket and took out some bills. "How much did she take from you?"

Oyuun pushed his hand away. "That's not the problem anymore! What will you do to her now that you know what she's done?"

The student body president's hazel eyes settled upon hers, and he looked almost...annoyed. "I would give her a warning, like I said if something were to happen a second time. I will seek her out later to do that, but right now I must compensate you for what she took."

"And Li and Charlotte?"

"They didn't exactly hurt you, so they would get a warning as well. This is the first time they've ever done anything physical to anybody, after all."

_But...but..._ "Didn't you know that the three of them took money from Ken too?" she asked desperately.

"That is unproven," Nathaniel refuted, "because Kentin did not come up to report it."

Oyuun was outraged. "What kind of school is this? Don't you realize Amber and her friends will keep on bullying me and Ken even with a warning?"

"Then the suspension will come on the third strike." Nathaniel began counting the bills in his hand. "Now tell me, how much did they take from you?"

_Why...you're just...ugh!_ "Forget the money," Oyuun spat, and stormed out of the student council room to go to class.

* * *

Later in study hall, Oyuun sat in a circle of desks with Iris, Jade, and Ken, still feeling glum and angry. Since she'd done her homework, she pulled out a notebook and began to doodle. But those doodles became more and more violent. Iris noticed her agitation and asked her gently about it.

"Amber took some money from me," the shaman girl explained, "and Nathaniel won't do anything about it except 'give her a warning'."

"Didn't he try to compensate you?" Iris asked.

"He did, but I refused." Oyuun pushed away from the desk and slapped the notebook shut. "What I wanted was something that would be sure to keep Amber from bullying me, or anybody else for that matter, again." Her eyes met Ken's. "And Ken...why didn't you report Amber to Nathaniel or the administration when she took your money?"

Ken bent his head. "I...I...Oyuun, it's...well, if I did, she'd only...she'd only bully me worse..."

"She could have gotten a suspension today if you did!" Oyuun argued.

"But even if she got a suspension," Ken protested weakly, "she'd still come back to get us..."

"Ken is right," Jade put in. "Nothing is going to stop Amber except for expulsion, and even then she'd still be up to her tricks at a new school."

"Then what?" Oyuun asked. "What will stop her, short of bullying her back, which I think is impossible because she not only has Li and Charlotte, she's got Nathaniel as a brother."

"Simple, Butt-saikhan," an assertive voice proclaimed. "Revenge."

A scrape of wood on the floor indicated that someone was moving their desk to the join the circle, and the person moving said desk was Castiel.

"Revenge?" Oyuun echoed.

"Yes, of course," Iris agreed. "Look, Oyuun, we're not asking you to do anything illegal," she hurriedly said, "but there's got to be a way you can get level with her that will show her what you really mean."

"Amber won't dare do anything against someone who's got the upper hand over her," Jade remarked.

"Revenge doesn't sound like the best way," Oyuun argued. "I was thinking of something more administration-wise."

Castiel looked like he was ready to laugh in her face. "Pff, the administration! Now that's funny!"

Oyuun frowned. "It's better than taking revenge, right Ken?"

Ken fidgeted. "I don't know, Oyuun...I feel kind of vengeful myself...But that doesn't mean I don't agree with you," he quickly added.

"Look, Butt-saikhan," Castiel advised, "the administration isn't going to do _anything_. Shermansky only gets visits from students when they've been reported by teachers, not other students. And Nat is too blinded by brotherly love to see how much of a pain Amber is. The only thing left is for you to take it up in your own hands."

Oyuun still didn't feel good about taking revenge. And what was Castiel doing in helping her? Amber wasn't present in the room to see them as a study group, but Capucine was and her words as well as Qara's warning echoed in her mind. "What's it to you anyway?" Oyuun asked the redhead. "You didn't exactly have to come over and suddenly grace me with advice. I don't remember you being this generous."

"You should be lucky that I'm being generous. Would you prefer it if I just stood by and watched you get pushed around?"

Oyuun frowned. "You're only doing this to find a way to get at Nathaniel somehow, aren't you?"

Castiel shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."

Iris waved the matter away. "As long as the revenge is small-scale and doesn't have to do with anything that would get you into serious trouble, it's worth taking a shot at."

"Amber needs a taste of her own medicine," Ken added a little more confidently. "Maybe if I were braver, I'd do it myself."

Oyuun shook her head. "You guys must have more than just a bone to pick with her," she remarked, "or else you wouldn't be telling me to do this."

Jade's face turned sour. "She sabotaged the gardening club last year."

"And accused me of trying to go after Nathaniel," Iris added.

"She pushed me and stole my money," Ken wailed.

Castiel smirked. "She's Nathaniel's sister, and a big snob."

Oyuun looked frantically from person to person. "Guys, really?"

They all looked back at her with purpose in their eyes.

"You've got to hit her where it hurts," Iris began. "Amber's really into fashion. I suggest you buy the same clothes and copy her look for the entire day; that'd make her so embarrassed."

Jade shrugged. "I can't think of anything else to top that."

"In front of the boy she likes," Ken added.

Castiel waved their ideas away. "You guys are ridiculous. You think that'll teach her a lesson? No, Oyuun, you gotta graffiti her locker and put spiders in it. That'll get to her; she hates spiders."

_What a bunch of kids,_ she inwardly complained. _Too bad the Abjiya isn't here, or she'd have given me better advice._ Castiel especially did not escape her judgement. "Castiel," she began, "I don't mean to sound bossy or rude but I really don't appreciate your advice. Look at the bomb it just set off."

Castiel's gray eyes looked at everyone else within the group, and he seemed to be remembering what everyone else said about Amber.

"I got in trouble with her in the first place because of you," Oyuun added softly.

" _What_?" Castiel's voice was dangerously loud. "I didn't do _anything_! Look, if you didn't want me here, you could have just said something instead of blame-"

"She was jealous because she wants to go out with you," Oyuun interrupted calmly. "And she thought that me joining the basketball club was so that I could be closer to you."

Ken spoke out first. "No! Oyuun, is that why you-"

Oyuun shot him a warning glance. "Of course it isn't!"

"And why would that make her jealous?" Castiel argued.

"Remember what you asked me about this morning?" Oyuun, leaning over to him, whispered, "She took those incidents and messed them up so badly, she made me look like some boy-crazy attention wh...er, popular wannabe. I'm betting that she and her diva friends are spreading the rumors around right now."

"That snob," Castiel cursed.

Oyuun settled back into her chair. "And that is why I will not take revenge. There's enough drama going on already."

"Whatever, Butt-saikhan," Castiel muttered dejectedly.

"Well now," the shaman girl began again, "it's still study hall. Maybe we should be getting on to brainstorm ideas for that history project Mr. Faraize wants us to do?"

Jade relented. "Thanks for reminding us, Oyuun. Speaking of which, do you want to become a part of our project group, Castiel, since you're here?"

"Wait, what?" Oyuun asked, horrified.

The redhead huffed. "I might as well. No one wanted to partner up with me anyways."

She glared at him. "Didn't you hear what I just said? Are you trying to make this worse for me?"

He looked nonchalantly over at her. "And I'm supposed to sacrifice my grades for you. Right."

Jade frowned. "Are you feeling ok, Oyuun?"

"We shouldn't let Amber stop us from doing normal school things," Iris added.

The shaman girl sighed and shook her head. "No, no...I'm fine." The others wouldn't understand. They didn't seem to if they invited him to join. "Forget I ever said anything."

"That means we have five people," Iris remarked. "We're complete. Good, I was worrying that we wouldn't get our final member in time. I'll report that to Mr. Faraize tomorrow."

Ken gulped, for he still found Castiel intimidating. "U-um...I'll try not to get in anyone's way..."

"Don't worry, Ken, you're a valued member of our group," Oyuun reassured him. "Just like everyone else is. Your ideas will matter to us, not get in our way."

"Thanks, Oyuun," Ken said softly.

"How touching," Castiel teased. "Now can we please get on with this?"

Iris brought up a paper, and pointed to some of the words. "These are the events detailing some of Europe's stance in the Crusade...the Saracens at that time were..."

Her voice carried them on throughout the rest of study hall, and before they knew it all five of them were engrossed in the history project Mr. Faraize assigned to them.

* * *

It was the last class of the day and Oyuun was out in the halls coming back from a bathroom break. She rounded the corner near her locker, which was close to the staircase, when she spotted Li with a can of spray paint graffiti-ing the entire range of lockers and some parts of the staircase. Oyuun only came into action when she saw that Li was moving over to _her_ locker.

"Hey!" Oyuun shouted. Li jolted, and she stood frozen until Oyuun ran up to her. "What do you think you're doing? Give me that!"

"Shove off, Butt-saikhan!" the Chinese girl spat. She swerved the spray paint away from Oyuun's grasp, and continued dodging her like so until the other caught hold of the can. But Li still had a grip on it, too, and would not relent. "Let go!"

"Taking my money wasn't enough?" Oyuun retorted.

"None of your business!"

"Hand over the can!"

"No, you let go!"

"I'm not crazy! I'll tell the Principal about this!"

"Haha, I'll frame you first!"

They were so busy in their fighting that they didn't notice the certain professional click-clack of heels on smooth floor, and the enraged old lady that coincidentally came at the wrong moment.

"Girls!" Shermansky yelled.

Li and Oyuun jumped at the same time, and they swiftly moved to stand apart from each other. The can of spray paint fell useless to the ground.

"What is going on here!?" the Principal practically roared. "I can't believe it! Defacing school property - you are going to be punished, the both of you!"

"But she was doing it, not me," Oyuun protested. "I came and found her painting all over my locker!"

"What? She was doing it first, it wasn't me," Li argued. "She was angry at Amber for something today, so she tried to take revenge. Look at her locker, it's full of fake spiders, and everyone knows Amber hates spiders; how much more proof could you want?"

Oyuun and the Principal turned their eyes toward a locker that hung open. It was full of black plastic spiders, true to Li's words. _She was planning on framing me in the first place,_ Oyuun thought. _But this prank looks so much like Castiel's suggestion. He couldn't have told her if he thought she was a snob..._

Then she remembered. The only other person who could have told Amber, Li, and Charlotte, and not think that they were snobs.

_Capucine! Gods, she must have heard what we were saying in study hall!_

"As Amber's friend, I was trying to stop her," Li added.

Oyuun almost choked on her own anger. "Wha...It's so obvious that it was you! There's paint on your hands!"

"You sprayed it on me when I tried to take the can from you," Li retorted.

"I didn't!"

"Yeah-huh!"

" _Girls!_ " Shermansky screamed again. "Enough arguing! It's quite clear who's to blame for this, and that can only be the two of you. You don't have any proof otherwise, do you?"

Both Li and Oyuun shook their heads begrudgingly.

"That makes it final. The both of you will stay after school for as long as it takes to clean up this mess!"


	7. The High School Ghost, Pt. I

"Here are the supplies," Nathaniel said as he handed each of the girls buckets, sponges, and cleaning solutions for their upcoming punishment. "If you need any more, they'll be in the janitor's closet." Oyuun didn't have to look hard to be able to see the disappointment etched on his features, especially aimed at her. "I'll be going now, but if you should need anything I'll be in the student body council room."

When he was gone, Li grumbled and started soaking her sponge in her bucket of soapy water. "It's all because of you that I have to do this," she complained.

"Oh, and I wonder who was here first, messing up everyone's lockers?" Oyuun shot back.

" _You_ were the one who was supposed to get in trouble for it," Li retorted, "but now look at me! I'm in trouble too!"

Oyuun had already begun scrubbing her own locker. "Crime never pays," she muttered under her breath. "And neither does framing people."

Li also started on cleaning up her mess as well, but not without cursing spitefully in Chinese. "Aiya!" she exclaimed after a while. "I got soap on my shirt!"

_Oh, bother,_ Oyuun rolled her eyes. _This'll take forever._

And so began their punishment, which was difficult as well as endless. Oyuun didn't know what kind of spray paint Li used, but it took more than several hard scrubs to get it off, and even then, it still left spots. She was quite sure the Principal wanted it _all_ off, so a hard yet inevitable task lay ahead of them.

Eventually, both she and Li were scrubbing their hardest at all the graffiti spots. Time flew by unbeknownst to them, for when the bell signaled the end of school it caught them by surprise. Students poured out from the classrooms to their lockers, some to get ready to go home, others to prepare for their clubs. A few of the students who had lockers by the staircase were shocked to see the graffiti, but Oyuun and Li weren't going to explain anytime soon.

Amber was among them and she was upset to see Li cleaning up the mess as well.

"I knew something was wrong when you didn't come back to class," the blonde pouted. "Did Butt-saikhan tattle on you?"

"Obviously," Li said. "Or else she wouldn't be here. But I made sure that she went down with me too."

Amber let out a laugh and gave Li an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "See you later," she said, and shot a smug little sneer over at Oyuun.

_Jerks,_ Oyuun grumbled.

Castiel came by next by coincidence. When his gray eyes caught sight of Oyuun, they also took in the endless graffiti all over the lockers and staircase. A smirk immediately formed upon his lips. "Hey!" he called out to her. "Scrub hard, and don't leave too late if you don't want to be stuck here all night."

Oyuun could hardly care for what he had to say at this moment. But before her head could turn back to her cleaning, she was given a thumbs-up from the red haired rebel. He seemed kind of happy too, now that she thought about it.

_Oh Gods!_ she exclaimed mentally. _He thinks I actually took revenge...using his suggestion!_

"Just leave," she snapped. "You're not exactly encouraging anyone here."

"Whatever, Butt-saikhan," he shrugged, and left.

Then the crowd of students diminished to a trickle, until it seemed that only Oyuun and Li were left by the staircase.

* * *

Things grew dark pretty quickly. But the graffiti was still as present as ever. By this time, both girls were tired to their very bones. They had taken short breaks in between, but the paint still didn't seem ready to come off. Only fifty to fifty-five percent was taken care of, by Oyuun's estimation.

Li had had it. She threw her sponge down on the floor and started walking away. "I'm not dealing with this anymore," she complained. "I'm going home."

"But the principal said we had to clean it," Oyuun called after her.

" _You_ clean it," Li snapped. "You can just tell Shermansky that I-"

She suddenly stopped. Oyuun froze, too. An ominous and otherworldly sound echoed throughout the hallway. It was like laughter, but not laughter...it seemed deep, metallic, and faraway at the same time. Footsteps, rather loud yet equally paced, followed suit and sounded as though they came from around the staircase. Both girls could tell that those footsteps didn't belong to them.

Almost immediately, Oyuun began sensing for otherworldly presences, but there was nothing to be felt.

"W-who is th-that?" Li stammered.

"I don't know," Oyuun murmured.

The Chinese girl gave in and backed up closer to Oyuun.

"Hello?" Oyuun called out, with Li at her back. "Is...Is someone there?"

There was a rough _clack,_ as though someone turned on their heels, and the footsteps stopped for a moment. Then they started again, getting louder and louder as they got closer and closer.

"It's coming this way," Li whispered, her hands grabbing onto Oyuun's arm.

Oyuun still couldn't feel anything spiritual. So this had to be a normal person, otherwise...

Like a scene in a horror movie, a dark shadow suddenly emerged from behind a corner. Their eyes were accustomed to the dark by this time, so Oyuun and Li could clearly see the shadow and its humanoid outline. Oyuun's eyes narrowed in scrutiny while Li's widened and her mouth opened to scream.

Oyuun noticed Li's open mouth and quickly shut a hand over it.

"Shh," she told the Chinese girl. "It's probably just somebody."

"What 'somebody' stays at school this late?" Li hissed as calmly as she could.

"Well..." Oyuun searched for an explanation, but there didn't seem to be a good one.

As she was thinking, the shadow moved a little; shifting its arm or something; and then there was a single, dull flash of light, as though reflected off something that used to be shiny. Oyuun abandoned her thoughts and focused on the flash. It would be hard to miss if one was not observant, so Oyuun had to look extra carefully. She noticed then that the shadow was holding something, and there was that dull flash again...

_A sharp blade..._

Oyuun jolted as she remembered her nightmare.

_The hidden ambush..._

_A stab, a slash...blood...  
_

_"Mother!"  
_

"Nngh!" Oyuun groaned and covered her eyes with both hands. When she uncovered them again, there was only one thought in her head. Looking at the shadow once more, she uttered so that only she and Li could hear, "A knife...it has a knife..."

"A knife!?" Li almost shrieked. "I'm not staying anymore!"

The Chinese girl's panicked footsteps echoed throughout the halls as she dashed and ran for the school exit. She had left Oyuun behind in her cowardice, but she could hardly care. Oyuun was not as panicked, but she _was_ scared. She was so convinced from that single dull flash that the shadow held a knife, that she backed away a few steps and contemplated fleeing as well.

The shadow noticed her then, probably because of her white hair, and moved slowly towards her.

_No!_ she thought. Her heart beat faster and faster and the image of the bloody knife from her nightmare plagued her eyes. _I have to get away...before he kills me!_ Without a thought, she turned around and ran in the same direction as Li. She didn't stop to think that maybe the shadow wasn't holding a knife, but her nightmare kept on interfering.

While she ran, she thought she could hear something clatter to the ground, and someone's foot crushing something hard...but such sounds were practically nonexistent to her right now. All she could think of was escaping with her life.

When Oyuun came home, her parents were both worried and displeased. Apparently, they'd gotten a call from Principal Shermansky, so they had expected her to come home late. But they were worried still, both for her safety and her school record.

"What happened?" her father asked her about the graffiti-ed lockers as the three of them; Oyuun, her mother, her father; sat down in the living room to have a talk. "How did this come about?"

"It wasn't me," Oyuun responded. Her heart was still beating fast from all the running and all the fear. Her satchel was dumped unceremoniously on the couch beside her, and her backpack lay at her feet. "Some girls at school were being mean to me..."

Her parents exchanged looks with each other, as if saying, _Oh no, not again._ They knew of their daughter's social troubles at school, so it was no news to them, but it was troubling nonetheless.

"They wanted to play a prank," Oyuun explained, "and blame it on me. One of them was jealous because I happened to join the same club as her crush. But don't worry," she hurriedly added when the looks on her parents' faces grew grimmer, "I handled it. I can handle this, too, if I go back to the school tomorrow to continue cleaning."

"You didn't finish?" her mother asked.

Oyuun rubbed her arm nervously. "I didn't leave because I got tired of it..."

Her father nodded. "She's got good reason to come home now; never mind the graffiti. I'd rather she came home than stay behind to clean all night. We can contact the Principal tomorrow about returning to clean it."

"Tomorrow's Saturday," her mother pointed out. "Won't the school be closed?"

"Perhaps if we talk with the Principal," her father said.

Her mother nodded, approving of his plan. "All right, then. We can get this settled tomorrow...Oyuun, are you hungry?"

Oyuun's hand went to her stomach as it issued a starving growl. It was then she realized just how hungry she was. "Yes, _Eje..._ a lot..."

Her mother smiled. "All right then, I'll scrape up something quick for all of us."

"You didn't eat yet?" Oyuun asked.

"We were so worried about you," her father put in. "How could we have eaten?"

Oyuun felt guilty to the core, even though she didn't do anything intentional to feel that way. "Let me help," she said, and rushed after her mother to assist her with the cooking.

* * *

The next morning found Oyuun walking alone to the school after her parents sorted everything out with Shermansky. As it turned out, Li's family was also called to drag her back to the school to finish their punishment. The doors would be unlocked by Shermansky herself and when the two girls finished up, all they had to do was call her so she could lock it up again.

To be safe, Oyuun brought along the Abjiya's talisman and vowed never to forget it again. She touched it for good luck before she tested the school's front doors. They were open, and she pulled on them to allow herself entrance. Once inside, she saw Shermansky and Li waiting for her.

"There you are," Shermansky said, and she seemed a smidgeon cheerier than the other day. "Your supplies are still laid out as they were yesterday. Get back to work now and you can leave early. Here is my phone number-" she handed them each a card "-and you are not to call unless absolutely necessary."

"Yes, ma'am," Oyuun said, taking the card. Li stayed silent.

"I will be going," Shermansky announced, "but I'll be back when you finish. Call me then!" The old woman gave a hearty wave to the two girls and then tottered off out of the building.

The moment she left, Li turned on her heels and said, "Listen, Butt-saikhan, I don't intend on doing all this hard work on the first day of a weekend. So if you're slow, I'm not going to pick up your slack. I'm only doing as much as I want to."

"Whatever."

Li scrutinized her from the corner of her eye. "If you so much as squeal to Shermansky-"

"Ok, I got it," Oyuun interrupted.

"Good."

With that established, they walked back to the lockers and resumed cleaning. They had to dump the old water from their buckets and and refill them, but other than that their job was a little easier to do since they'd done a portion of the work already. It still proved to be tiring, however, when Oyuun's arms began aching fifteen minutes in.

Not too long after, Li gave in and threw down her sponge. "I'm going to the bathroom," she announced, and impetuously stormed off around the corner.

_What a pansy,_ Oyuun thought.

When Li was gone, Oyuun took her bucket and sponge to start scrubbing the side of the staircase. She had just bent down to start on the bottommost streak of graffiti when her eyes spied some things that her feet almost stepped on. She scooted away to see what they were and picked up a broken shard of plastic. The other object was a wasted cigarette butt, but she dared not touch it. Instead, she took a paper towel to cover her fingers and picked it up with that. When she stood up to take it to the trash, she stopped because her talisman was vibrating.

_What is it, Abjiya?_ she asked.

_What are you holding, Oyuun?_ the Abjiya demanded.

_Um...a cigarette butt..._

_Are you joking with me?  
_

Oyuun jolted. _What? No, Abjiya, I'm serious...'cigarette butt' means the end of a cigar, not, you know..._

_Oh. Well, you know how I am with these modern inventions.  
_

Oyuun didn't think that a cigarette could qualify as a modern 'invention', but she went along with it anyway and continued to listen to the Abjiya.

_Anyways,_ the age-old shaman continued, _what you're holding, Oyuun, has traces of a shulam on it. Take away that paper towel and you will feel it.  
_

Oyuun looked disgustedly over at the cigarette butt. She reluctantly did as the Abjiya told and held it within the center of her palm. Sure enough, there were spiritual traces on it, and those traces belonged to a _shulam._ Oyuun could feel it right in the middle of her hand...

"Ow!" she yelped, and dropped the suddenly smoking butt to the floor. She stomped on it once and then grabbed at it with the paper towel again. This time, she doused it in soapy water from the bucket and _then_ threw it away.

_It burned me!_ she told the Abjiya. _That shulam really doesn't like me. And it's not even here!_

_Hmm...this shulam seems to have met you before...otherwise, its essence wouldn't have reacted so negatively to you.  
_

_You think that maybe...?  
_

_Yes, probably.  
_

The shulam felt on the cigarette butt could easily be the one from the gymnasium, or maybe the one hiding within Castiel. And then the shadow she and Li had seen appeared from the corner where the butt and shard were discovered.

"So whoever was here last night," she said aloud to the Abjiya, "was smoking and..." Then she remembered the crunching sound she heard as she was running away. A slight shade of crimson bloomed on her cheeks when she remembered her cowardly action; the dull flash may not have come from a knife at all, but something _plastic_ ; and thus she was able to deduce the origin of the plastic shard. "...and holding something plastic that he dropped and stepped on _,"_ she finished.

_And he may have had the shulam with him,_ the Abjiya supplied.

"Yes, that too."

Now that the mystery was solved, at least for now, Oyuun went back to her cleaning. "You think that maybe I should come back here another night?" Oyuun asked the Abjiya. "You know...to face the _shulam_?"

_Ooh...I don't know about that, Oyuun..._

"You'll be there with me."

_At this rate, I guess it would be fine; but if you're talking about an exorcism...no, it cannot be done right away._

"Why not?"

_The shulam's essence was found on that 'butt' we found. If it's from a cigarette, which people smoke from, it is easy to see that the shulam was sticking around somebody physical who was smoking the cigar. If you were to suddenly pop in with burning herbs to exorcise the demon while that person smoked, you wouldn't be greeted with a happy reception._

"Hmm." Oyuun considered that. "I never said I was going to exorcise it, though. What if I just went to investigate, to make sure that the _shulam_ comes here on a nightly basis?"

The Abjiya was quiet for a while, leaving Oyuun worried that her idea was in the process of being rejected. But then the Abjiya spoke up again, and it was to her student's reassurance. _All right. But make that investigation quick...you don't know who it is that came here to smoke at night, after all._

Oyuun thanked the Abjiya and went back to scrubbing again, her mind racing with plans already. She'd do it Monday the night after school, and then whatever happened next would be up to both her and the Abjiya. Perhaps, just to be safe, she should sneak in her spirit helper bracelet.

But after she'd been cleaning for a while, she began to wonder where Li was. It had been a some time since she'd gone to the bathroom, and Oyuun hadn't seen her since. She started to suspect something foul, so she stopped cleaning to go to the restroom and make sure Li was still there.

Sure enough, she was. Oyuun could see her feet behind one of the stalls. But she didn't sound alone; she sounded like she was talking to someone. After a while of listening, Oyuun realized that she was talking on the phone. And by the familiarity of her tone, it didn't seem as though she was talking to the Principal. _Probably Amber or Charlotte,_ she guessed.

_Should I stop her?_ she wondered, because it did seem unfair that she had to work while Li sat comfortably in a stall talking to her friends. But when she thought about the long-term consequences, she dismissed the thought almost immediately. After this graffiti fiasco, she'd had enough of drama to last her the entire year.

* * *

"Oyuun...is it true that you saw a ghost at school?"

"Oh my gosh, tell me about it! Was it scary?"

"Come on, people, everyone knows that ghosts aren't real."

Oyuun gave Kim a look from the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. Of course she couldn't have known the truth; normal people couldn't see ghosts, and therefore, denied their existence. Other than psychics and people gifted with the Sight, no one else could. But with girls like Melody and Violette, such things could become a half-truth even if not taken seriously.

Violette, who'd asked the question first, did not look all that curious but Oyuun could tell that she was striving to hide her inquisitiveness behind a rational face. Melody, who'd responded with the second question, had her shock and intrigue clearly painted on her features.

They had all heard of the nightly adventure that she and Li experienced from Li herself, who'd been talking about it quite loudly to Amber and a few other students. It seemed that a weekend away from the school did not deter her in any way; the ghost was wielding a knife, radiating bloodlust and out to kill, she'd told them. And they were curious. They came to Oyuun in the middle of Science, when the teacher declared a free-form study group time, though most students were just hanging out with each other and talking of things other than science.

"Tell us what you _really_ saw," Kim prompted.

"Well," Oyuun began, "you're right, it wasn't a ghost. But it was somebody. I don't think he had a knife, though; that part was probably a figment of my imagination or something else. I had this nightmare some nights ago, see, and..."

"Yeah, yeah, your thoughts ran wild and blah. What about that sound you heard?"

Oyuun thought about it, wondering how to present it to them. She knew it wasn't spiritual, because she'd felt nothing behind it, but what rational explanation could there be? "Wind in the vents, maybe?"

"Oh," Melody said with a disappointed sigh, now that she heard Oyuun's more realistic account. She was more usually known as the most studious and logical girl of the class, so Oyuun could hardly believe that she was let down by a ghost-story false alarm. Perhaps she occasionally enjoyed otherworldly thrills, was the excuse Oyuun gave her strange behavior.

"That still sounds dangerous, though," Violette said, looking a tad frightful. "Who lurks on school grounds at night but a shady character? You were lucky you made it out alive."

Kim practically chortled. "C'mon, Vi, not _everyone_ who comes out at night is a serial killer. She probably saw some staff, the night watchman, maybe. This school does have a security office, doesn't it?"

Violette frowned, but shrugged in agreement. "I guess so..."

"I was hoping you'd have something to tell me," Melody said to Oyuun, emerging out of her own thoughts. "See, my birthday is coming up next month, and I'm striving for a Halloween theme for it, seeing as Halloween is in the same month. Li's account was quite wondrous, but I was wanting to hear it from a more reasonable person."

_Melody thinks I'm more reasonable than Li?_ Oyuun felt flattered.

"So what did you need their story for?" Kim asked. "I know it's for the theme, but for what part? Decorations? A haunted house?"

"For the story-telling, of course," Melody quipped with a small grin. "It may be my birthday, but it's going to be a slumber-party birthday...Oh, did I just say that? It was supposed to be a secret until I sent invitations. Oh well, consider yourselves lucky with the spoiler."

Oyuun blinked at how normal she made the concept of revealing a secret. "That's...wow, and it's next month?"

"Yes!" Melody gushed, and whispered the date in Oyuun's ear. "And guess what?" she added in a low voice when she withdrew from Oyuun's ear. "You're invited!"

Oyuun could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Her, invited, to a slumber party? She even almost forgot to breathe. No one had invited her to such a party, ever, in her life. It was embarrassing to admit, but Oyuun had never been to any sleepover outside of family before, not even in elementary school. To hear that she was invited to one now was...revolutionary.

"Why?" she asked, still star-struck, but she was questioning her good luck rather than Melody's choice.

Melody looked astonished. "Why not? I've invited most of the girls in our class. Well, except for Amber, of course."

Kim seemed amused. "What's wrong, new girl? Party-shy?"

"Er, no, but..." She twisted a lock of white hair absentmindedly. "I just...I just thought that since I'm new...I wouldn't have gotten that much attention..."

"You got a _lot_ of attention this year, then, for a new girl," Kim teased and it was only after a few seconds of incomprehension that Oyuun realized she was referring to her run-ins with Amber.

"Oh, don't mention those," Oyuun groaned.

"It's not so bad," Violette reassured her.

Melody took pity on her as well. "Yes, don't worry, because there are people in this school who know enough about Amber to take her words with a grain of salt." She smoothed out a crease in her white skirt before saying, "About the party...please continue to keep it a secret. I don't want people to know until I personally send out invitations. Especially Peggy."

"I will," Oyuun said. "But why not Peggy? In fact, who's Peggy?"

At the same time, Melody, Violette, and Kim looked at her as though she'd just told them the world was flat, not round.

"Peggy Martin is the head of the newspaper club," Kim said after a while. "She directs it but also goes out as a reporter to gather stuff for her stories. And let me tell you, that girl will make headlines out of _anything_. You can't ever give her a secret without her publishing it on her paper or at least telling everybody in the whole darn school."

"Peggy will get the secret of the party out," Melody added. "And I don't want that to happen. So please, promise me you won't tell?"

"I promise," Oyuun said, and then the bell rang to signal the end of class.

Kim scooped her books into her arms and pushed herself out of the desk, eager to leave just as the other students were. "Well, that's that, off to History. Bah, stupid history teacher, making us do all this work for the project..."

Melody giggled as she rose from her seat. "I think it's quite engaging."

Violette only blushed wordlessly as she prepared to leave, while Oyuun gathered up her things and waved to the girls. "See you there, I just gotta get to the bathroom first."

"Kay, see ya," Kim returned.

"Don't be long!" Melody called after her.

Oyuun whirled around and left the classroom, feeling quite pleasant despite herself from her talk with the three of them. They seemed such good friends; even Kim, whose tomboyish personality made her look tough (in fact, Ken was no less afraid of her than he was of Castiel). And their talk back there had only been their first. Already and Oyuun was being invited to a slumber party, like a longtime friend...Her heart couldn't have felt warmer than it did now.

And then it grew chill as she turned around a corner and unexpectedly bumped her face into the chest of the one person she didn't expect to meet. Castiel.

"Oof!" she exclaimed, and almost fell backward, but Castiel had caught her before she could.

"You all right?" he asked her as he pulled her back straight. He seemed quite normal for a guy who'd just skipped a class; Oyuun knew this because she hadn't seen him anywhere in Science.

Oyuun gave him an appraising glance with her eyes and then swiftly turned away. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for your help." She could hear the bland sarcasm in her tone, but didn't do anything to cover it up.

"What's wrong?" Castiel was following her. "What'd I do, Butt-saikhan?"

_You got me into trouble, that's what!_ It was true; if it weren't for Castiel's grand idea, Capucine wouldn't have heard and then passed the word onto Amber, who told Li, who graffiti-ed the lockers and then gotten her into trouble. She also remembered Amber's jealousy and used that as an appropriate incentive to keep herself away. But she found the words stuck in her throat, unable to come loose. When she did open her mouth, it was to emit a weakly put, "Amber wants to go out with you..."

The redhead sneered, laughed, even. "So? Why does that make you angry with me?"

"I'm not angry," Oyuun protested, "but..." She stopped to look at him again, frowning as she studied his features. "Doesn't that make you feel anything?"

"What? Amber's crush on me?"

Oyuun nodded.

He smirked and folded his arms across his chest, looking for all the world like the punk he was. "I don't feel anything, Butt-saikhan, and it isn't a surprise to me because I already know."

"Oh," Oyuun said. "Oh yeah, I told you on Friday." _Before I got into trouble._ "You didn't seem bothered by it then, either."

Castiel shook his head. "No, I already knew for a while."

"Did she make it that obvious?"

"What do you think?" he asked her, and from the look on his face Oyuun didn't have to think long. "Anyway, what's this ghost you and Li saw that I keep hearing about? Did you stay late at school? I told you not to, didn't I?" That last one had a lighthearted, sarcastic edge to it as he reminded her of his previous joke. "Legend says a teacher fell and died there. Wouldn't be strange if you saw one."

"It wasn't a ghost," Oyuun insisted. "It was somebody. But the nerve; the next day I came back to continue cleaning, I found a cigar and some broken plastic where that person was. Talk about littering."

Castiel's face then took on a sudden pall, as if he himself had seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, confused.

"Huh?" He broke out of his trance. "Nothing...as if ghosts could smoke and eat plastic! Anyway, you're right, there are no ghosts. And that legend was made up."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ok? Well, I have to go to class now," she stated, and turned away from him again. "See you there...if you're not going to skip, that is."

_It's strange, though,_ she thought. _Why did Castiel look like that when I told him about the cigar and plastic?_ The question bothered her even after she reached her locker, and as she opened it to retrieve her history book. _Does he have something to do with it?_ She paused, and her features hardening into a frown. _Maybe, but...It could have just been me..._

She still felt unsure as she began closing up her locker, reassuring herself with the nightly investigation she was going to do later. Whether or not Castiel was involved with the shadow and the pieces of litter would be proven then. Her thoughts began racing about her plans and she walked to class slowly to give herself time to think, to scheme and contemplate.

"Ah, Oyuun!" The student body president's cheery voice interrupted her thoughts.

Oyuun turned around and faced the blonde-haired boy who she was coming to know as a lousy authority figure. It might have just been her own opinion, but the way he resolved Amber's bullying on Friday and dismissed Kentin's mistreatment did not earn him a good impression in her eyes. Still, she answered in as politely a tone as possible, "Yes? What is it?"

Nathaniel had his trusty clipboard with him, which he brought up when he was within talking distance of her. "Oyuun, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a moment of your time and ask you some questions."

She frowned, her eyes scrutinizing him as if searching for hidden weapons. "All right, but I'm going to be late for class."

"No worries, I will escort you personally and explain everything to the teacher."

_Well, I have nothing to lose._ She gave in and followed him as he paced back into the hall and chose an isolated spot by the water fountains. "So, what do you want to ask?"

"I've been hearing from Li and her friends that you two met with a 'ghost' last Friday during your cleaning," Nathaniel began. Oyuun did not miss the heavily skeptical emphasis on the word 'ghost'. "She went on about how he held a knife and was chasing the both of you, intent on killing you. Tell me, is this true?"

"Well...we did see a silhouette," Oyuun said. "But I believe it was a person, not a ghost. He wasn't holding a knife either, but something dull...kind of like..." _Plastic,_ she finished for herself, but did not voice her opinion and had to be prodded by Nathaniel to continue. "I kind of let my imagination get the better of me then," she explained, "and that must be how the knife fiasco was started. In the end, he didn't chase us; at least, I didn't see, because I'd been running too."

"Hmm." Nathaniel began writing something on his clipboard, stopped to look at it, scrawled some more, and then having approved of his work, looked back up at Oyuun. "Ok, that makes more sense. I only wanted to know so I could request the Principal to double the night guard if necessary. I was afraid that you two had run into someone unpleasant."

"Don't worry, we didn't. It might have been the night watchman," she added, parroting Kim's words.

"Mm-hmm," Nathaniel nodded as he wrote again. Then, slapping his pen against his clip board, he said with finality, "All right, you're free to go. Thank you for answering my questions."

"No problem."

"I'll walk you back to the classroom," he offered, and Oyuun could only accept it, if she wanted to give Mr. Faraize a reasonable excuse for coming late. _But gosh,_ she thought, _so many people asking about the ghost..._ _and to think all it took was a little rumor._


	8. The High School Ghost, Pt. II

Oyuun stalked through the empty hallway, golden eyes darting here and there on the lookout for people. Her hair was loose, the bangs plastered to her face by sweat. She had gone through a rigorous basketball session that day in the club and was more than ready to crash onto a comfy sofa and lay there immobile for a nap. But she had to stay awake, at least long enough for her to make it to dark.

True to her word, she had brought along the spirit helper bracelet for this excursion. It dangled upon her wrist with the owl feathers and fox and wolf fur resting comfortably against her skin. Her talisman was still about her neck, hastily put back on after the basketball session so she would not forget it again.

 _Where should I go first?_ she wondered. It was around six-thirty now, fully an hour after after school clubs had ended and everyone had gone home. No night watchmen were about (yet) and the sky was steadily growing dark outside. But before Oyuun could head to the staircase, she wanted to make sure that she was truly alone. It just wouldn't do to be caught.

Her wanderings brought her along the main hallway, near the entrance to the school. At that same moment, the lights to the school suddenly turned off, shrouding all in darkness. It bore no sound, but its impact weighed on her like the sudden slamming of a door.

 _I am not afraid,_ she reminded herself, and proceeded to summon her spirit helpers. "Bataar, Shria, Qara," she whispered. Three ghostly figures jumped out from the bracelet, each emerging from their respective skins and feathers.

"Where are we?" Shria asked, always curious.

"I hope this isn't something reckless," Qara muttered.

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted, flapping around until he settled on his master's shoulder. "What are we going to do, Oyuun?"

Oyuun glanced at the three of them, and then straight ahead down the hall. "I had this suspicion that a _shulam_ was coming here at night. I'm here now to check it out, so I brought you along to make sure that I'd be safe."

That pleased Qara somewhat, but only excited Shria further. "Oh boy, we're going to catch a _shulam_!" the little fox exclaimed.

"Not really," Oyuun explained, and she watched as the fox's trot slowed disappointingly. "Remember, I'm just going to confirm my suspicions. If they're true, I will return with a _toli_ mirror to see who is being possessed by it. That should scare it into leaving the school building alone."

That stopped Shria in her tracks, and she turned two large brown eyes over to her shaman master. "Possessed? Someone here is possessed?"

"Or haunted..."

"You've never dealt with a _shulam_ haunting before," the fox protested.

"Don't worry, Abjiya wasn't too stressed about it," Oyuun reassured her. "And besides, this is a young _shulam_." Albeit one that could pull off dangerous pranks, but she wasn't willing to admit that to her spirit helpers at the moment.

"If it's with someone, you may have some explaining to do," Qara added.

"I know that, but I can't just let it slip past me," she explained. "And I'll be gone before they even know what's hit them; the light from the mirror should blind them long enough. Come on, let's go to the staircase now."

The talisman vibrated gently against her chest at this statement and, taking that to be a sign of assurance, Oyuun slowly pressed forward. Shria and Qara padded cautiously by her side while Bataar bobbed up and down upon her shoulder as she walked.

For a while, nothing but Oyuun's footsteps tapping quietly on the smooth floor could be heard. The spirit animals had no physical body, so while Oyuun could see and hear them speak, she could not hear them move. Then, almost suddenly, a noise came from straight ahead of them. She estimated the noise to be coming from the student council room.

 _Did someone stay behind?_ she wondered worriedly as she froze into place.

For some reason, though she should have fled or hid, Oyuun stood rooted to the spot while staring wide-eyed at the source of the noise. Part of it could be attributed to the fact that she had never snuck around places like this after dark, and that it gave her shame to be doing so. Another could be due to some unknown feeling, fear maybe, that commanded her feet to stay stuck in place.

A door opened and shut. Some footwork as somebody moved and turned around...then, "Hello?" a familiar voice called out. "Is someone there?"

Oyuun almost gasped in surprise. That voice...it sounded very much like Nathaniel's!

"Hello?" he called out again. "I know you're there."

The shaman girl realized that it was her white hair that mostly gave her away. With a sigh, she moved forward until she could see the vague shape and outline of the student body president.

"It's me, Oyuun," she said.

Nathaniel was surprised. "O-Oyuun? What are you doing here this late?"

Oyuun frowned. "I came back to fetch my notes that I'd accidentally left in my locker. What are _you_ doing this late?"

Nathaniel looked flustered, a rather suspicious sign to Oyuun. "Oh, uh...I'd forgotten some papers too, and was just going to get them. Excuse me, but I'll be going now." He turned to quickly walk away, but Oyuun's hand caught his shoulder first.

"Wait, Nathaniel, what's the rush for?" She looked at him with some mustered worry.

The boy glanced at her and then down the hall. "I have something I have to do that I can't be late for. If you'll excuse me..."

"Ok." Oyuun released him, and watched as he speed-walked away. _Geez, that was weird..._ She made sure he was gone before tentatively making her way to the staircase again.

It was dark, as expected, and everything was shrouded in a sense of mystery along with the darkness. Qara sniffed along the stairs while Shria bounded up them. Bataar flapped over to the lockers, peering into each and every one of them, which was easy to do since he was a spirit with an astral body.

"I suppose you can help me that way," Oyuun said with shrug. She began to walk about the area, figuring she'd not be too suspicious here since this was where her locker was. Her eyes focused deeply on everything about her, searching the perimeters for any other spiritual traces than her spirit helpers. She also lay in wait of the talisman, for its movement or quivering could enlighten her on anything else strange.

 _Vwoo..._ and there it was, that strange metallic sound from before. There was none of the laughter, though, just the hollow and otherworldly echo. The spirit helpers turned in its direction (although Shria was still on the second floor), but they could not feel anything menacing, at least on their level. Oyuun couldn't either, and felt rather disappointed.

"But that sound was soon followed by footsteps," Oyuun insisted to them. "Someone came."

"Do you think, then, that we should wait until whoever it is comes out and finds us?" Qara challenged.

Bataar cocked his head from side to side, but said nothing. Shria, alerted by the noise, had come down from her exploring, and looked urgently at Oyuun and Qara.

"What'd I miss?" the little fox asked.

"Nothing you'd ever pay attention to," the wolf mocked. "But anyway, we should be leaving soon, if what you say is right, Oyuun..."

But Oyuun felt insistent. This wasn't the right time to go...they should stay, at least a few more seconds, until _something_ happened. "I haven't sensed anything yet," was her excuse.

Qara paced about, growing restless. "Fine, but if nothing happens in the next five minutes or so, we are leaving."

 _And that's for you to determine?_ Oyuun thought as she crossed her arms. It was endearing how Qara could be quite condescending at times, even to his own master. But unfortunately, he'd forgotten that it was up to the master to decide whether or not she'd listen to his advice.

"...and then he was like..."

The sudden breach in silence, the little uttered phrase, though from undoubtedly far away or behind a wall, alerted the four at the staircase and sent Qara leaping in front of Oyuun.

"Do you hear that?" he hissed. "People have come! Go, now!"

"But the _shulam,_ " Oyuun protested.

"I'd go if I were you, too!" Shria added.

Her hesitance gifted them with the newer sounds of footsteps clicking on the smooth floor. "Hello?" someone called out. "Who's there?"

Then Oyuun felt it. A wave of menacing spiritual power, an emptiness beyond anything she'd ever known... _the shulam!_

"That person," she whispered to her spirit helpers. "He has it!" She frowned when she felt the traces fluctuate. "No, wait - he doesn't _have_ it, it's just _with_ him - near him?" _This is not who the cigarette butt belonged to_ , she thought in frustration.

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted. "That's very nice, Oyuun, but we must go... _now_." He landed on her shoulder and pecked at her ear. Instead of a sharpened beak, all she felt was the astral chill of a spirit's touch. It was enough to alert her, though, and for the second time ran out of the school in the wild dark.

"Hey!" the voice yelled after her. "Wait!"

Of course, she didn't wait, and made her swift escape out of the building within no time.

When she had gathered her things, which were waiting for her in a bush near the school's entrance, she called her spirit helpers back into the bracelet. It had grown fully dark outside, but the street lights gave her surroundings the illumination that the school had failed to. Breathless and weary, she leaned back against the wall to catch her rest. She chanced a look back at the entrance to see if whoever it was would come looking for her. When nothing happened, she pushed off the wall and started on her way home.

* * *

School the next morning was not as trivial as she thought it would be. If anything, it made her plans all the more exciting for Oyuun. She came through the door with a cheerful expression on her face and shouldered her backpack knowing that everything she'd needed was stored inside. There was also one object, one very special item, that she'd been sure to pack; her toli mirror.

Round in shape and made of brass, it was decorated with an intricate mandala design on one side and completely flat on the other. Its blessed power could ward off evil spiris, and if used wisely enough, could reflect the demon's visage and burn it.

Woe to the _shulam,_ then, who was the young shaman's target. And, as if it knew of its pending destruction and willed for the student body president to appear, Nathaniel unexpectedly hurried over towards Oyuun with a very heavy frown on his face.

 _Oh gods,_ she thought. _What'd I do now?_

"Oyuun," he called out to her. "I have something that I must speak with you about."

Oyuun frowned, but tried not to look too uncomfortable. "What is it?"

"You didn't go back to _investigate_ , did you?"

She blinked, wondering how he could ever have known of her ambitions. "Investigate?" she echoed dumbly.

"Yes, to see if the ghost existed," Nathaniel said.

"Oh..." So it wasn't that. "Um, no. Why?"

His scrutinizing brown eyes narrowed on hers suspiciously. "I simply found it strange that you should hang around after school so late."

She felt a little nervous. "So...you're saying that I lied to you yesterday?"

"No, not at all. I just want to make sure you weren't getting any ideas."

"Oh, no, that would be ridiculous," she insisted. "Ghosts don't exist. I wouldn't waste my time trying to prove something that isn't real." She inwardly winced at the irony in her own remark, but held fast to it to ensure that it was convincing. "Maybe you're just over analyzing things. I understand, I do that sometimes too."

Nathaniel scrutinized her further, but when he saw nothing out of place, he relented with a sigh. "Right, I suppose so. Have a good day."

"You too." She turned back around to continue on her way, relieved to have gone out of that encounter without any repercussions. _I'd better not do anything to make him suspect me, so I'll have to be extra careful tonight if I want to continue investigating._ Remembering that word, 'investigate', she found the irony in his question rather funny. He didn't know how close to the truth he actually was.

"Hey Oyuun! What's up?"

Oyuun turned around to see who called her. "Hi, Ken. Nothing, really."

"Did you get in trouble with Nathaniel?" he asked fearfully. "I saw him talking to you...none too happy, either..."

"Trouble? Oh, no," she reassured him. "He was just talking to me. Maybe he was a bit stressed or something; paperwork, you know? It's enough to drive anyone crazy. Or so my dad says."

Kentin chuckled, feeling better already. "Ok. Anyway, did you get all the stuff you needed about Saladin's biography?"

"Yeah," Oyuun nodded. He was talking about their history project. "I did. Do you want to review it with me?"

"I can help...but I still have to do my part with the Saracen's positions in the war, and stuff."

"I can review that over with you," Oyuun offered.

"Really?" Kentin's eyes lit up. "This is great! We'll both finish in no time."

Oyuun nodded. Of course they'd be able to finish in no time; after all, they would be using teamwork, wouldn't they?

"I can't wait to get it finished," Ken continued. "The Crusader War is a really complex subject...I stood up late finding everything for my part in it!"

"We have the internet for _something,_ " she reminded him. "And by the way...isn't it ironic that Castiel got stuck working on King Richard the Lionheart?"

She and Ken shared a laugh at that. As they continued talking about other things, such as the weather, sports, and some political debate, they came nearer and nearer to the lockers. Kentin seemed to have had everything he needed already - plus his lockers were in a different part of the hall - but despite that, he still stayed beside Oyuun as she went to get her things. The rumor about them being together had settled down ever since Friday of the last week, having been replaced instead by the ghost hype, so not many people were sticking behind to make fun of them.

 _At least that's a relief,_ Oyuun thought as she watched the last few stragglers close their lockers and head to class.

"So, um, Oyuun," Kentin began when she closed hers. "I was wondering..."

"What is it, Ken?" Oyuun hugged her books tightly as she walked with him to homeroom.

"If we could..." He seemed a bit fidgety. "Um...don't take this the wrong way, I haven't gone back on my promise. It's just..."

Oyuun was beginning to dread what he was going to say next, but patiently awaited his words.

"...are you available after school?" he asked. "My dad is going back to the base where he works for a few days so I'm free to do whatever I want after I finish my homework. I just discovered a new cafe around the block from here and wanted to know if you'd go with me."

 _After school?_ Oyuun thought, her heart sinking. _I can't...I have to stay behind and catch the shulam...I guess I can just reschedule it with him..._ "Actually," she said, much to his dismay, "I'm not going to be free after this. I have some stuff I gotta do at the basketball club, and then Mom needs me to do some extra stuff around the house. But," and Kentin's face lit up at this, "we can go tomorrow if you want."

"Ok!" Ken was more cheerful now. "That's great! Oh my gosh, I'm so excited! We haven't done something like this in forever!"

Oyuun chuckled. "Because of your dad, right? I guess it's tough, having a father in the army."

"Yeah, he expects too much from me," Ken agreed. Oyuun didn't have the heart to say that her father thought the same thing of him as well. "I'm lucky I didn't get stuck in military school," he added.

The shaman girl nodded. "Yes," she said as she stroked back a strand of hair behind her ear. "You are lucky." _I'm lucky too, 'cause how would I ever make it here without you?_

They continued walking on for a while; their talk bordered on the small and trivial things as before, although it eventually came to center around the _oboo_ in the gardening club. It appeared that the shrine was receiving lots of offerings daily, and many of those offerings were disappearing mysteriously. Although there were a number of skeptics, most of the members were delighted that something so coincidental was happening. To add to the excitement, the growth and overall health of the plants started to improve.

"That's so wonderful!" Oyuun found herself exclaiming. "I know it can be considered as coincidence, but, I just...wow!" She beamed at Kentin very brightly, much to his joy. Suddenly, though, he whipped out a hand to keep her from walking any farther. "What?" she asked, confounded.

"Shh!" Ken hissed, his index against his lips, indicating her to be quiet. He dragged her back behind the corner while looking out nervously, as if he were afraid of being discovered.

"What?" Oyuun asked again, a little worried.

It took a while before he would respond. "Castiel and Nathaniel are talking together," he whispered.

Oyuun's eyes widened. _Oh...Oh no! Not another fight?_ "We have to stop them!" she entreated him. "Before things get worse! The last time they spoke with each other, they nearly-"

Ken shook his head. "It doesn't look like that," he said. "They look...peaceful."

Oyuun was silent for a few minutes, trying for the life of her to comprehend what that meant. "Wait a moment...peaceful? Castiel, and Nathaniel? Are peaceful? What do you mean? That can't be right! They're always at each other's throats!"

The bespectacled boy adjusted his glasses nervously. "Take a look, if you want to."

The shaman girl frowned and switched places with her friend, so that she was closest to the corner. Lo and behold, when she peeked her head beyond the wall far enough to see the forthcoming hallway, there stood the two opposites; the deliquent and student body president; conversing with each other in low tones, their backs turned to their eavesdroppers. True to Ken's word, they seemed docile enough, conspiring, even!

"Oh my god," Oyuun breathed.

"I know, right?" Ken responded.

Silence fell between them before Oyuun drew back and began to think. "We can't be late for class," she concluded, "so we'll have to risk interrupting them. That's the only way to get to homeroom in time."

"It..." Ken grew thoughtful. "It should be fine...they aren't fighting, and Nathaniel will keep Castiel from acting out..."

Oyuun nodded. "Yes, Ken, let's go."

Having made up their minds, the two friends braced themselves for the oncoming confrontation and tentatively stepped out from behind their hiding space. They tried to play it cool, as though they had been walking up from the previous hallway and hadn't seen anything. But it didn't seem as though Castiel or Nathaniel cared about discovery, because it was only until Oyuun nearly rammed in between them that they broke apart.

"Oh, Castiel, Nathaniel!" she said, pretending to sound normal. "Sorry, I was walking too fast. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"M-me too," Ken stuttered when he saw Castiel's displeased face.

Nathaniel sighed. "It was nothing, really. Don't worry. Are you heading to class? We're the ones who should be sorry, then, for blocking your way."

Castiel simply grunted and looked away, not meeting either of their eyes.

"Oh, it's all fine," Oyuun reassured him with a smile.

"I'm going to the bathroom," the redhead suddenly stated, and walked in the opposite direction.

Nathaniel replaced his pen in his breast pocket. "And I will be heading for my class. You two have a good day, now."

"Yes, thank you, Nathaniel," Oyuun waved. "You too."

"Yeah," Ken added.

When the two of them left and Oyuun and Ken were alone to walk to homeroom together, Ken couldn't help but shiver. "I wish we didn't do that," he moaned.

"Why not? We had to get to class anyway."

"Yeah, but, the look in Castiel's eye..."

Oyuun sighed. "Don't let it get to you, Ken! It's nothing more than an instinctive mechanism in him. He's playing the tough guy, after all. I'm sure he means no harm to either of us."

But Kentin didn't seem appeased. "I'm just lucky I was with you, Oyuun. Very lucky."

* * *

"Hey. Butt-saikhan."

Oyuun jolted and sputtered on the rushing water of the water fountain. She irritably released her hand on the button and wiped the excess water off her mouth. "What is it, Castiel? And don't you ever learn? My name is-"

"Cut the crap. I need to know something."

She frowned at his tone. It was hardly polite or inviting, much less reassuring. "Well, what do you need to know?"

"Are you trying to investigate the school ghost?"

 _What? This stuff again?_ She found it slightly suspicious, but played along to get at his motive. "No," she answered mildly. "Why would you think that?"

He shrugged. "Nathaniel said something about it today."

She winced at the memory. "Did he tell you that while you guys were talking earlier?"

He looked as though he were slapped. "Hmph! Don't get me wrong, nothing happened because I wasn't looking to pick a fight, understand?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ok, I get it. But you got your answer now, so shouldn't you be going?"

His gray eyes stared passively at her for a moment, until it seemed as though they were having a staring contest. Then, with one last suspicious look at her, he shrugged. "Fine. So you weren't investigating; I hear you." With that, he turned to leave. "Just don't do it if you get the idea in your head, all right? It's dangerous for a girl to be alone in a school building at night."

"Thanks...I guess."

* * *

The day passed by quickly. It all advanced as she expected, but Oyuun had a bit of a workout with the basketball club and so was pretty much near passing out when she emerged from the locker room. Dajan noticed her fatigue and gave her a high-five on the way out of the gymnasium. His cheerfulness was contagious and she couldn't help but feel lighter upon leaving the gym. Still, it did not detract from something that happened earlier.

Another strange thing occurred during practice. It wasn't a phenomenon of sorts, but it was peculiar. If she weren't so occupied with her thoughts, she might have forgotten that it ever happened in the first place.

Halfway into practice and the club games, Castiel's breathing grew labored. It was dismissed as exhaustion at first and he attempted to cure it by drinking Gatorade. But then just as he was about to make a score, he began to cough wildly. It was as if he had asthma.

As expected, everyone rushed to his aid. Dajan told him to drink more liquids. He listened, but couldn't get the first sip past his throat without coughing again. Then when it subsided and was reduced to strengthless wheezing, he started to feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Go home, Castiel," Dajan said. "Maybe you've been thinking too hard on something...get some rest, and come back tomorrow safe n' sound, ok?"

The redhead wordlessly nodded and left for the locker rooms. A club member offered some Advil, but he tersely waved it away.

Well, to call it strange may have been an overstatement. It wasn't as if an ailing sports member was a thing that never happened. But Oyuun decided to keep it under the tabs of 'strange', so that if anything else happened; in the _shulam_ business, for example; then it might prove to be valuable information. Castiel had been perfectly fine the moment before, so it was all the more vital to remember what happened.

 _Hmm, but I should save it for later_ , Oyuun thought. _Because if I remember correctly, the school lights are going to shut off at around...now._

As if on cue, the lights shut off with a sudden conviction that would have chilled Oyuun to the core if she weren't determined to go through with her mission. She hugged the toli mirror tighter and walked forward.

"Bataar, Shria, Qara," she called to her bracelet.

The three familiar spirits emerged once more, with Shria stretching her sore astral muscles and Bataar flapping immediately up to his master's shoulder.

"Hoo!" the owl hooted. "Oyuun, back again?"

"Mm-hmm," she affirmed. "And I think I'll catch it today!"

Qara snorted. "That easily? I think we're aiming for too much here."

"But you know we all felt the _shulam_ last night," Oyuun insisted. "It's that close and...and I can't just let it slip!"

"We're right with you!" Shria chimed in.

"Look, have you ever caught a _shulam_ before?" Qara asked. "No. Only petty spirits and minor demons of the Western ilk. Just because you sensed it doesn't mean you can bag it in one fell swoop. Not even with a toli mirror," he remarked when his feral eyes noticed the brass mirror.

"I only need to scare it away," Oyuun promised. "Abjiya has taught me a lot, so I'll be able to channel enough energy to burn it. No need to worry about anything."

"But if we're going to encounter people again," the wolf continued, "we will leave. Immediately. Is that understood?"

The shaman girl nodded exasperatedly. "Yes, yes, I know! Don't worry, I'm not a kid anymore. I can do this on my own. You'll see." She started speedwalking, as if that could prove her point. That unintentionally left Shria and Qara a little far behind, but the two canines continued pacing after her comfortably.

"She hasn't been this confident in a long time," Qara remarked. "It's normally always 'Wait, Shria, we should do this carefully' or 'Qara, don't be so rash'! This has really gotten to her head."

Shria nodded. "Maybe it's the promise of such a juicy catch! I mean, you don't meet many _shulam_ in America."

Qara snorted. "If this were Mongolia, it wouldn't be considered as such. So I suppose you're right, for once."

The little fox waved her bushy tail and flicked it against Qara's nose. "Haven't I always been right?" she teased, and raced ahead.

The black wolf simply heaved a sigh and cantered after her.

Before long they were finally at that fated spot where the _shulam_ had been sensed. Oyuun stopped before the staircase while Qara and Shria were in the middle of catching up to her. Bataar fidgeted uneasily at his spot on the shaman girl's shoulder and twisted his head around, looking for important clues. Oyuun held out the toli mirror in both hands, her eyes scrutinizing every nook and cranny like an eagle searching for its prey.

"It's still too early," Qara said at last. "It didn't come out at this time, yet. We should wait."

Oyuun swept her eyes over the scene once more before conceding. She silently moved over to the first step of the staircase and settled down on it, the toli mirror still in her hands. Shria bounded up the stairs like she had done the night before and soon was lost somewhere on the second floor. Qara padded over to sit by Oyuun's feet while Bataar closed his eyes for a quick nap.

It seemed as though an eternity passed as they sat waiting, listening, sensing for signs. When nothing continued to happen it was as if time played against them, mocking them for wasting their efforts. Eventually Shria herself came back down stairs, and when she looked back and forth from spirit to spirit to shaman, she knew they were all exasperated by looking at their faces.

"Well, this is frustrating," Oyuun mumbled.

The little fox licked her astral tongue against the girl's fingers. "Don't worry, Oyuun, I'm sure it'll come. It just seems longer 'cause...um...we were occupied yesterday, remember? You ran into the student body president, and then he was all nervous and stuff..."

Qara frowned. "Sure, but I don't recall it being this long. We left for the staircase immediately afterwards, and it took us less than five minutes to start hearing the noises."

"Hoo!" Bataar hooted. "Perhaps it left? Does it know of our presence?"

Oyuun sighed. "You might be right. I forgot, we were nearly discovered last night. If whoever it was has a brain, he most certainly wouldn't come again-"

_Clack, clack, clack..._

The sound alerted the four of them. It sounded very close...behind them, almost. Each of their ears registered the noises as footsteps. Oyuun looked to each of her spirit helpers and she was rewarded with reaffirming nods in turn.

"Let's do this," she whispered.

She withdrew to the far side of the staircase and settled herself into a comfortable yet ready position.

The footsteps stopped, and then there was the sound of a match being lit. The choking smell of cigarette smoke filled the air.

_Almost..._

Whoever it was stepped forward until his silhouette was quite visible beside them. He seemed sturdier than the one she and Li had seen, though, taller and more muscular. _So there must have been two of these people,_ she thought. At that same moment, the familiar menacing presence was felt again. It was actually within the figure this time, rather than with or just nearby. But it seemed oblivious to them, like the owner of the silhouette was.

_Now!_

The three spirit helpers positioned themselves so that they could protect their master if anything happened. Oyuun, meanwhile, leapt out from her hiding spot and faced the silhouette head-on. Before anyone could do anything, the toli mirror was raised with its flat side to the person's face.

"Behold, your reflection!" Oyuun spell-chanted in Mongolian.

There was a large flash and the sound of someone's scream as the light penetrated their eyes. A small backward tilt was all that was required to show the wielder of the mirror the visage of the demon; the face was a horribly charred, the mouth a grotesque lipless gap sporting rotten or burnt teeth, the eyes two dark holes, and a tattered fur hat and _deel_ being the only indication that this spirit was Mongolian. Thanks to the light, its features were as crystal clear as a reflection in still water, and very much emphasized.

"Are you trying to blind me or what!?" the startled person yelled out.

Oyuun gasped when she heard that voice. She jolted midway in the tormenting of the demon and the mirror slipped through her fingers to the ground. Its light snuffed out as it fell with a _clang_ to the floor below, enveloping the hall in darkness once more. The after effect made spots flash in Oyuun's eyes, but it couldn't possibly compare to the pain that the owner of the silhouette was now feeling.

It wasn't his speaking out that made her stop, per se. Rather, it was the familiarity of his voice. A very startling familiarity.

Because he was...


	9. And the Ghost is...

_...Castiel!_

Oyuun watched the watery-eyed redhead as he collapsed onto his knees. She was so shocked and stunned that she could barely move, much less speak. Her hands eventually groped about until they found the toli mirror again, and even though her eyes were not yet adjusted to the dark, she felt that she could still see the _shulam's_ face imprinted upon the flat side of the metal, glaring and contorting with pain and agony.

 _So...so it's true...the shulam_ is _with Castiel!_

She sat on her knees, holding the mirror so that the mandala was facing her, as she continued to register what that meant. It shouldn't have been new, because she had suspected it from him...but suspecting and actually finding out were two totally different things. _Oh my god,_ she thought again. _Why am I so surprised? Then again, why should I not be surprised? But then...Wait! I shouldn't have stopped!_

She quickly scrambled to her feet when she realized this. _Why am I so stupid? I should have continued to burn the shulam! Drat, if I can get him to hold still and face me again..._

"Oh god! What was _that_?" he practically yelled. His hands were still covering his eyes. "Damn, that wasn't a camera, wasn't it?"

Oyuun was speechless for a few more seconds. But at 'damn' she nearly lost it herself. "Watch your language! It's just me...Oyuun."

Qara issued a low growl. "Wait a second...you stopped, just for _him_?"

She whirled around to face the wolf with an expression that meant 'not now'. Then she turned back to Castiel. It was too late to try again now that he knew she was here. She cursed herself for that, but when she saw how badly he seemed to be suffering, she softened and supposed she didn't have the heart to subject him to that again. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "You startled me. I thought you were someone else...or something..."

Thanks to her hesitance, the _shulam_ began to slip and slip away until she could no longer sense it. Her guess, though, was that it was hiding itself within Castiel's heart. _If it hadn't come from there...it would have never been reflected on the toli mirror...not so coincidentally!_

"God," Castiel ground out. On the floor beside them, the smell of cigarette smoke wafted up into their noses.

"You smo-" she was about to ask, but then changed the subject. "Er, you ok? I'm really sorry."

"Enough of this foolishness!" Qara interrupted. "We're going, now!"

She suddenly turned and glared at the black wolf. "Qara, would you be quiet? I'm trying to think here! This was my fault after all. No, don't worry, he wouldn't dare do anything. Trust me." When she still saw his apprehensive look, she had no choice but to call the three spirits back in. As she touched their corresponding furs and feather, they all sank back in as if they were nothing but mists.

"Who are you talking to?" Castiel asked, despite his stinging eyes.

Oyuun blushed nervously. "N-no one..."

She didn't have to explain, thank goodness, when a third voice entered the scene. "Castiel?" it called out. A boy's voice. "What's happened? Why do I hear someone else?"

The figure finally approached. For a while, he was just a black silhouette. Oyuun nearly gasped when she remembered that it was _his_ silhouette she and Li had first seen on the fateful Friday night. When he drew closer, Oyuun could see a narrow face with delicate features and a swath of silver hair to frame it. His eyes were what got to her the most; they were heterochromatic, with one eye a pale green and the other a light hazel; so light, it was almost gold.

And then when her eyes were adjusted enough to notice his clothes, she nearly jumped. It wasn't as if they were unfashionable, but rather, _old-fashioned_. Much like the Victorian man she'd seen in town. Yes, that was it; he was dressed Victorian, just like that man! Only with clothes that fit his look better, and a green ruffle tie to match his left eye.

This strange boy was silent for a while before kneeling down beside Castiel. "Are you all right? Can you stand?"

"Course I can," Castiel protested, and stood up on his own. He seemed a bit shaky, though, as if the light had affected more than just his eyes.

The boy stood up as well and inspected the scene in a thoughtful pose; his chin rested lightly upon his knuckles while his other hand held on to an elbow. His bi-colored eyes flitted from Oyuun to Castiel, and back again. "I daresay that this has become quite an interesting night. Why don't we get it settled out in the practice room, for privacy's sake?"

"Practice room?" Oyuun echoed dumbly. "Where's that?"

Castiel, whose eyes seemed to have become better adjusted (although not quite fully recovered), glanced over at the boy briefly and Oyuun had the feeling that some sort of secret was being shared between the two. "Just behind the staircase," he finally said.

She tightened her grip on the toli mirror. "I...I didn't know there was a room there...Um...and I..."

The redhead shook his head. "It's not like we're going to kill you. Although I really might have to after I explain everything."

Oyuun's eyes grew wide. "No! You wouldn't!"

The silver haired boy let out an amused chuckle. "Don't be scared, he's just joking. Come, it won't be so bad." He released his thoughtful posture and gestured with a friendly hand for her to follow.

Oyuun only did so when she touched her talisman for comfort, and even then she hugged the toli mirror to her chest as she walked. Now that her frustration at having let the demon get away subsided, it was replaced by prickling anxiety. After all, she had unexpectedly run into Castiel in the school at night. What the heck was he doing here at this hour? And who was this strange Victorian boy? Why did the both of them know of a room behind the staircase?

They all came to a door that was neatly tucked away at the staircase's base. Oyuun had not noticed it before, not even when she was cleaning the graffiti. She could see why, though; it was almost inaccessible, had no window to look into, and Li didn't bother spray painting over it.

When the Victorian boy opened the door, there was light on inside, although it was a little dim. Oyuun could see that the room was much more spacious than it looked from the outside. It was like a basement almost, and there were stools and some tables littered throughout. Most of them were in good condition, although a bit dusty. What caught Oyuun's attention, however, was a platform at the back of the room - much like a miniature stage - where a red-and-black electric guitar lay hooked to an amplifier. A tall stool sat beside it with a mic stand, connected to another amplifier. A worn out notebook was tossed absentmindedly on top of the stool.

The Victorian boy began to busy himself with pulling up some stools so that the three of them could be more comfortable. Castiel went ahead and plopped onto a one, his eyes still watery. Oyuun tentatively made her way forward and carefully slid onto one of the stools, still feeling nervous. The boy sat on his after having retrieved a bottle of water from which he took a sip.

"So," Oyuun began, laying her toli mirror on her lap. "Um...first of all, I'm sorry I did that to you, Castiel."

"Hm," he grunted.

She looked down and played with her fingers nervously. "I really didn't mean to intrude. I was, uh...coming back, because...well...I forgot something, and... "

An awkward silence fell upon them then. Oyuun could feel both boys' eyes on hers, even if Castiel's gaze was squinted and watery. She gulped to herself and tried to look as normal and composed she could.

Castiel broke the silence first. "I guess it's not your fault. Who wouldn't be curious, if they kept coming back and saw strange things?" He wiped at his eyes before pointing to the plate of brass in her lap. "What is that, by the way? Was it the thing that flashed in my eyes?"

Oyuun jolted, and then held up the toli mirror. "Oh, this? Its, um, an antique. From my family. Um, around several hundred...ish...years old?" Truth be told, it used to be the Abjiya's...and there was no telling how long ago the Abjiya lived. "It must have reflected on something," she continued, "because there's no way something like this can do that on its own. Right?" She chuckled nervously. "I brought it with me because traditionally, it's supposed to ward off evil spirits. I know I say I'm not superstitious, but with what's been happening lately..."

"Okay..." Castiel seemed as though he were trying not to dwell on that much further. "If you say so. Anyways, now that you're here; now that you know; you must swear that you will never tell anyone about us using this room."

"Especially Nathaniel," Oyuun added for him.

"Nah, he knows."

"Wh-what?" She sounded shocked.

"Yup," Castiel nodded. "Our friendly conversation that you and Ken ran into was about this. We'd noticed that you'd been coming to the school at late hours recently, so we had to decide if it wouldn't be better to let you in on it. It was either that or let you tattle to Shermansky. So do you promise not to tell?"

Oyuun slowly nodded. "I guess I won't."

He leaned in on her. "Promise?" he repeated.

"Y-yes, I promise!" Oyuun leaned away, suddenly afraid of the seriousness in his voice.

Castiel straightened back up and nodded. "Good. And you'd better keep to that promise."

 _Or you'll kill me?_ Oyuun wondered.

"Castiel, you're scaring her," the Victorian boy chided.

"Relax, Lysander, I know what I'm doing." Castiel proceeded to speak again. "See, Oyuun, Lysander and I come to this room as often as we can after school to practice our music. You've already seen the place; it's big, it's spacious, like a basement, and the acoustics are great. That's what you've been hearing."

But before he could say anything else, she asked, "Isn't there a music club here for that, though? Wouldn't joining it be much better than hiding around here, when the school's closed?"

"We can't exactly play what we want there," Castiel explained. "The teachers think it's too crass and violent. They're more into flutes and pianos and violins...all that fancy stuff." His face turned sour at the mention of such instruments. "So we found this space, and voila; our neat little place to practice whatever the hell we want. And at this hour, there's no one to complain."

"So how did Nathaniel get involved?" Oyuun asked again.

"I stole the keys," he said. "In fact, I stole a lotta keys, but just know that they were supposed to be under Nat's care. One of those keys opened the doors to this room. He knew I stole them, but since he couldn't get them back, he had no choice but to keep quiet. You know why. If word gets out, we'd both get busted, not just the delinquent here."

"I see..." Oyuun looked down upon the mandala side of her brass mirror thoughtfully.

"Oh," Castiel said, suddenly remembering. "And this is Lysander." He swept a passive hand over at the silver haired boy. "Lysander, Oyuun. You remember her, don't you? That girl whose photo ID got messed up big time by Amber?"

"Yes of course," Lysander agreed with recognition. Oyuun blushed and turned her head away so that he wouldn't see her reaction.

"Lysander goes to our school too, right?" she then asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, in fact, I do," Lysander responded. "I'm just in a different class, that's all, but same grade." He looked at her quizzically for a moment, and then said, "I'm afraid it was me who frightened and your friend last week. And who called after you the other evening," he added.

"Me and my friend?" Oyuun asked, and then remembered. "Oh, you mean Li. It's ok, no hard feelings...Li isn't my friend, though." A sudden thought came into her mind, and she fidgeted slightly as she started to ask about it. "Um, after that night, on Saturday, Li and I came back to clean the remaining graffiti. I saw some broken plastic and a cigarette butt where we saw you. What happened, exactly? "

Lysander looked at Castiel, and then responded. "I don't know how surprising this is going to come to you, but Castiel smokes from time to time."

"It's not like I'm addicted, all right?" the redhead suddenly defended himself, and Oyuun flinched at his harsh tone.

"Be still, Castiel, she hasn't criticized you," Lysander chided again. Turning back to Oyuun, he continued, "The plastic came from a CD case I stepped on after dropping it. I believe I had seen you looking at me; pardon me, but your white hair stands out quite a bit in the dark; and then you startled me when you ran away, leading me to drop the case out of my hands."

"I'm sorry," Oyuun found herself saying.

"It's all right," Lysander reassured her. "I'm just glad I was able to get that off my chest; I felt rather guilty for making you flee like that."

When everything grew quiet, Oyuun looked around the room once more, taking in every single corner. Her eyes finally landed on the mic and electric guitar. _All this was going on, and no one knew._ She shook her head. _Unbelievable. To think that they've avoided discovery for this long._ "Have you ever performed in front of an audience?" she asked Lysander curiously.

His catlike eyes regarded her curiously. "We have, once or twice. Nothing exciting, though." After a thoughtful pause, he asked, "Would you care to listen to a song?"

Castiel jolted back to reality from staring off into space, and protested, "Heck no! Not after what happened. She doesn't look like a fan of rock, anyways."

Lysander nodded sadly. "I suppose you're right."

Oyuun suddenly felt awkward sitting with them. It was quite obvious, after all, that Castiel wasn't comfortable with the fact that she knew of their secret practice room. It soon felt as though she were committing a crime of some sort, that she didn't belong here with them. Lysander, she was sure, was only being courteous but must have been irritated with her from the beginning. She had to leave.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I have to go now. It's..." She didn't have her watch with her, but a clock on the wall of the room indicated the time. "Midnight!?" she exclaimed in horror.

Lysander noticed her shock and looked at the clock himself. "Oh, that clock goes four hours late. It should really only be eight."

"That's still late for me!" Oyuun panicked. "Oh gods, I totally forgot...my parents will kill me..." She hugged the toli mirror again and slid off the stool. "I promise not to tell anybody. Your secret is safe with me. I totally swear. Seriously, don't worry. Bye!" She headed for the door without another word and hastily pushed it open. Her eyes needed a moment to readjust to the dark, but she did not let herself stand there long, preferring to pick her way carefully down the hall - a slow pace was as good as a fast one, as long as she was moving. When she was able to see better, she broke into a light jog. But just before she could reach the entrance, a rough hand closed over her wrist.

 _Am I going to be killed?_ she fearfully wondered as the hand pulled her backwards.

"Hold up, Butt-saikhan, don't be in such a rush."

She was breathless. "C-Castiel? What'd I do?"

"Nothing," he replied. "But I'll drive you home, since it's dark and you're so good at getting lost."

"My house isn't far from here," she protested.

"This isn't a very good time for a girl to be walking home alone," he pointed out. "Who knows what psycho you'll run into in the streets? 'Sides, a car is faster than just walking. You'll get home sooner. Wouldn't that be better?"

Oyuun hugged the toli mirror defensively. "I...I guess so...but, but..."

"No buts. Come on."

"What about Lysander? How's he going to get home?"

"Oh, he can figure that out for himself. "

"Castiel! Isn't he your friend?"

The redhead rolled his grey eyes. "It's not like I'm going to abandon him! We still have some practice to do, so I'll come back. Sheesh, you worry too much."

Oyuun turned away from him and frowned, but told him to wait. "I'm just going to go back for my backpack...I forgot that I left it in my locker this time. Please wait." When she came back, the mirror was safely tucked in the backpack and her things were an arm's reach away on her shoulder. "Ok," she said. "We...we can go. You promise me we'll be fast?"

"I can't speed on the road, if that's what you're talking about."

"No, I mean..." She gulped. "We'll only be going straight to my house. No stops. No detours. Right?"

"Of course," Castiel affirmed. "Now come on. Let's get going."

* * *

They were both silent as Castiel ignited the engine of his pickup truck and began to back out of the parking lot. Oyuun sat in the passenger seat, her backpack at her feet, and a sturdy seatbelt across her body. It felt strange and awkward being in another person's car, especially one that belonged to a classmate. Oyuun didn't know why, but she felt as though she were further intruding on Castiel's world; first by discovering his practice room, and then by getting into his car.

 _He must be pissed,_ she thought nervously. A brief glance at his face seemed to confirm that, although that might also just be his customary scowl face. She couldn't tell. It still struck her as odd that someone like Castiel would so kindly offer her a ride home. It contradicted his nature, in her opinion. When they came into town and he asked her to point the way to her neighborhood, she was unsettled further by his willingness to help.

 _He's a good boy underneath,_ the Abjiya's voice suddenly said to her.

"What?" Oyuun asked, and stared down at the talisman. "Abjiya?"

Castiel looked over at her. "Huh?"

"Er, it's nothing." She slinked closer to the window, a little embarrassed. After few moments of awkward silence, she began to ask, "So, Castiel...I heard that your parents have airline jobs? Do they ever know that you're often out this late?"

His face grew stiff. "As long as no one tells them anything, they won't really know. It's not like they're curious or anything."

"Meaning, they're gone most of the time? "

"Yeah."

Oyuun continued staring out the window. She wondered what he thought, then, about driving her home so that her parents wouldn't worry; did it irritate him that she had parents to worry about her? Did he ever wish his parents paid more attention to him, spent more time with him? Did he even care?

"What do your parents do?" he suddenly asked.

"Huh? Like, their jobs?"

"Well, duh."

She blew some fog on the window. "My father works as an management accountant for a company. My mom is an executive chef at a Vietnamese restaurant." After some thought, she added, "If you want to know, it's that Que Huong restaurant on 16th St."

"Yeah, I know that place. Ate there before. They got some of the best pho around."

Oyuun gave him a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye. He didn't like the topic of his parents being brought up, that was for sure. She would not ask more about them if that was the case, but even so, she couldn't shake off the indomitable feeling that part of the reason why the _shulam_ stuck to him - why it had gotten around to haunting him - was because of his parents' neglect. _He must resent them for it,_ she thought. _And that attracted an evil spirit. But who wouldn't, in his place?  
_

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked him next, thinking it would be less sensitive of a topic.

An amused smile tugged at his face, and Oyuun wondered whether she had done or said something funny. "What's this, some kind of bonding-discovery trip?" he asked.

Oyuun felt embarrassed. "I was just asking...it's much less boring than keeping quiet."

Castiel chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. No, I don't have any. I'm an only child. You think my parents could handle their jobs with more than one child? Anyway, what about you?"

"I'm an only child too," Oyuun admitted. "I have three cousins who are like siblings to me, though. But we live too far away to visit each other frequently. We used to be able to, but then me and my parents moved, and you know." She shrugged. "The oldest, Khangai **[1]** , got accepted into a college here, so I should be seeing him more often. I heard my mom talking to my aunt about letting him stay with us." When she looked at Castiel and saw his distant face, as if he hadn't heard her, she wondered if she had hit too sensitive a spot in him with the topic of her own family and decided to keep quiet for the rest of the ride.

They were nearer to the neighborhood entrance now. Oyuun could see the evergreen trees that lined the path and the engraved sign reading _Tallulah_ _Falls_ with gold-imitation brass forming the words. Castiel paused a moment at the STOP sign and then slowly slid into the neighborhood. Most houses had lights on at this moment, with the exception of a few families who had not yet come home. The houses here were simple but homely, with two stories maximum and maybe a basement, as Oyuun remembered from what the real estate agent told them.

"Turn left," she told him when they came to a crossroad.

He did so and continued cruising the pickup truck at a steady pace.

"Did you know Nat's loaded?" he suddenly asked her.

"Huh?" She was confused.

"I meant, he's rich," Castiel explained. "He lives in some upstart fancy community with a big house named - yes, it has a name - 'Hawthorne Manor', or something like that."

"Oh...I didn't know that..." Oyuun also didn't know whether to be interested or not.

"Kind of explains his superiority, eh?" the redhead joked, and Oyuun was still confused.

Was he trying to say Nathaniel attained the position of student body president unfairly; that his parents paid the school for it? That he was chosen because of his financial status and well-to-do upbringing? Or was he trying to explain away Nathaniel's general attitude towards other students (which was, Oyuun admitted, condescending at times but not in a flaunting manner)? Either way, it was obvious that he was trying to discredit Nathaniel in every aspect he could find.

"I don't know," Oyuun said. "I think it explains Amber better than her brother."

"Hn, I see," was all Castiel said. He was clearly not pleased with her answer, but didn't seem too bothered by it.

They began to slowly turn onto the street that held her house. Street lamps illuminated the area with a cheerful orange glow, so it was easy enough for Oyuun to spot her house and the mailbox. She had even, with the surest confidence, told Castiel which one it was before they reached it.

"There," she said as he came to a stop. "It's that one. Thank you for driving me, Castiel."

"No problem," he said, and unlocked the doors for her to get out.

Just as she laid a hand on the handle, the door of her house immediately flew open and revealed the panicked figures of her mother and father. It was evident that they had been worried, and must have been watching through the window for any trace of her to have responded so quickly. She was able to explain her absence the night before as some school event that needed her only until late seven. But this time she had been gone way past eight, almost to nine. Her cell phone hadn't been answered, either (electronic signals often interfered with spiritual work, so Oyuun had turned it off while she was back with Castiel and Lysander. Oops). Their appearances contradicted her earlier plan to silently exit the car and walk up to the house to ring the bell; by then, Castiel's car would have gone and no explanation about him would have been necessary.

Oyuun froze in place, finding herself surprised by her own parents' door-opening reflexes. But then she had to act just as fast, before they would begin having a nervous breakdown over who it was that drove her home. Castiel's pickup truck did not exactly look like the cleanest and newest model on the road, after all, and could easily lead them to more suspicious thinking.

"What are you doing? Go," he prompted.

She sat there with her hand on the door handle. "Come with me," she suddenly said.

"I don't have the time," he protested.

She looked at him with purpose in her eyes. "Please. Let my parents see you so they're reassured I didn't jump into a stranger's car. I can explain things better with you there."

"No...that's crazy..."

Oyuun was desperate. "Please! I don't want to have to worry them further. Come on!"

Castiel's scowl deepened and he looked even more pissed than he usually did. Oyuun was beginning to regret asking him, but she also didn't want her parents to freak out. "Fine," he finally said, much to her relief, "but I'm not going to stay for a bit or anything."

"Ok, ok."

He turned off the engine and the both of them slid out, creating a double-beat of car door slamming. Oyuun shouldered her backpack so that it was steady upon her and began to walk up the path with Castiel behind her. "Come on, you promised," she entreated him when he hesitated. "Come on!" She had to do this several times before the both of them were finally face to face with her parents; her anxious, worried-sick parents.

"Oyuunchimeg!" her mother called out and hugged her fiercely. "I knew it was you! Where have you been?"

"And who is that fellow?" her father added.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she repeated over and over to soothe her mother's nerves. " _Eje, Aav,_ I was back at school."

"That late?" her mother asked.

"Um...it was...uh, because of..." She panicked for a moment, but then gave a sigh. "Ok, I admit it; I got lost. The school is really big, and I was at an unfamiliar classroom to help out, and then I couldn't find my way back. When I did, though, it was already late." She made it sound so that she was embarrassed. "Castiel, here...he was behind as well, so he offered to give me a ride home."

Castiel soon found all eyes on him. He jolted a moment before shyly mumbling, "Erm, yes..."

"You really have him to thank for getting me back so fast," she added with a smile. "There was no one else, and he even said I shouldn't walk alone at night. He may look a little tough, but he's really nice!" She quickly gave him a sidelong glance that meant 'be-still-and-just-let-me-speak'. "So don't worry, I ran into no trouble."

Her mother, obviously overjoyed, gave Castiel some brief thanks before ushering her daughter into the house. The father, meanwhile, stayed behind to scrutinize Castiel.

The redhead fidgeted slightly, then gave a polite little cough. "Uh, if you don't mind, Mr. Butt - I, I mean - Batsaikhan, I have to go now."

"Hmm," Oyuun's father nodded, and startled the boy by patting his shoulder with a firm hand. "You go do that. Thank you, by the way, for bringing Oyuun back safe and sound."

"It was nothing," Castiel said. When her father's hand released him, he muttered a 'good evening' before turning back down the path to reach his car.

* * *

"Tell me the truth...are you _liking-liking_ some boys at school already? Is that Castiel your...?"

" _Eje!_ " Oyuun exclaimed, her face growing beet red. "N-no, it's not like that! He, he, we, I mean, we barely even talk! He just happened to be there when no one else was, I swear! There's nothing like that between us!" Another pause, and, "I don't like any boys in school that way either."

Her mother didn't look totally convinced. "Are you sure?"

"O-of course!"

They both heard her father closing the front door and his footsteps as he made his way to join them in the living room. It was situated farther into the house, so Castiel (thankfully) could not have heard anything of what her mother said. Besides, they were speaking in Mongolian.

"That's taken care of," her father remarked. "What were you two talking about, by the way, that's made Oyuun turn so red?"

The shaman girl couldn't take any more of her parents' teasing and hid her face in a sofa cushion. "Please, _Aav,_ not you too..."

"But dear, hasn't it crossed your mind?" her mother asked her father. "Oyuun is fifteen already. It's at this age that a lot of American girls start dating and bringing home their boyfriends. And of course, back home in Mongolia; at least in the nomadic parts; we'd be scrambling for a husband for her, or in the least a potential match. If anything, I believe we must have a talk, so she can get her feelings sorted out and advance in this without any awkwardness or unsurety."

Her father frowned, his great brows furrowing, but sat down anyway and looked contemplative. "You are right, in a way."

" _Aav!_ " Oyuun was still embarrassed.

"It's a very sensitive topic right now, I know that," her mother continued. "I was the same when I was your age. But trust me, _okhin,_ you will feel much better when you talk it all out."

She was still hugging the cushion and hiding her reddening face. "Can I just say, again, that there's nothing between me and Castiel?" She decided not to tell them that he was the crush of the mean girl who'd gotten her into trouble last week. "We're not even friends...and, you know, he's not my type!" She sprang back up, exposing her face, but still hugging the cushion. "Y-yeah, I mean, who'd go for someone so...so...uh...punkish? Did you know he's in a rock band? We all can't stand that kind of music, for sure! _Aav,_ you said so yourself that rock is nothing more than rough screaming and drumming, right? If anything, I should be aiming for a more proper looking guy, with less noisy tastes. And hobbies."

Her parents stared at her for a while, before her father spoke up. "Tell us the truth, Oyuunchimeg. Is there any boy at your school that follows your aforementioned standards?"

Oyuun couldn't believe where this conversation was turning. "No, not at all! Please, don't worry, there's nothing like that at all."

"If you are sure," her mother relented. "But-" And Oyuun cringed at this 'but'. "-if there does happen to be one, and you are confused about anything, please don't hesitate to tell us. We are your parents, and we will help."

"Don't let anyone take advantage of you," her father added.

"I, I know! Don't worry!"

"And be sure he truly cares for you," her mother quipped.

"Aaagh," Oyuun moaned as she fell back on the couch in pure embarrassment. "Please, I know that already! Can we stop talking about it? In fact, I'm more than a little hungry right now. Let's have dinner."

There was silence for a moment before her mother rose and nodded. "All right. Go put your stuff away and prepare yourself. Dinner will be ready soon."

Her father rose as well, and then she was last, collecting her backpack from the floor.

* * *

They had dinner that night at nine and stayed up watching a movie in order to digest their food. Sleeping with a full stomach was not the best sensation, after all.

It was a little hard for Oyuun, in particular, to grow sleepy enough for bedtime. She was thinking of what to do now that she knew Castiel was haunted. Should she pursue it? Was the _shulam_ really doing any damage? The only way to make it leave in this case would be exorcism. Exorcising a spirit that was haunting somebody was easier than trying to do the same to a spirit that was possessing somebody (less damage upon extraction), but it still meant spending some very close time with the affected person, and that was not something Oyuun wanted to do at the moment.

"Oyuun?" her mother asked, jolting her out of her thoughts. "What are you thinking of? Why have you suddenly gotten so grim?"

"Huh?" Oyuun straightened up. "O-oh, nothing, _Eje._ I was just thinking of tomorrow's homework, that's all."

"Ok. Is it that Middle Ages project your teacher's put you on?"

"Yes, _Eje._ It's a little complicated, but most of it is smooth sailing, since everyone in our group is eager to pitch in."

"When is it due?" her father asked.

"I think around a few more weeks or so," Oyuun calculated. "Mr. Faraize said he wouldn't give an exact date yet because he wants to see everyone's progress first before he decides. We're all still going hard at it though, not to worry."

"Would you want me to take you to the library after school tomorrow for any further research?" he offered.

 _After school...oh yeah, Ken wanted to take me to that cafe! I could go with him tomorrow. Maybe he can come with me to the library?_ But at that, she frowned. _No, Aav wouldn't like it. He doesn't approve of Ken in the first place. Oh, but who said that_ he _would have to_ _take me? I can go with Ken just as fine._ "It's ok," she politely refused. "There's not much more to be done, although if we do need it I believe Mr. Faraize said that there was a library in the school we could use. We just have to ask the student body president to unlock it for us." _If Castiel hasn't stolen the keys yet, that is._

Her father nodded and took a sip from his mug of tea. "Just do your best, ok? Don't slack, but don't push too hard."

"I know, _Aav,_ don't worry."

"I just hope you're ok going to sleep at such an hour," her mother remarked with a worried look at the clock. "Will you be able to wake up when I call for you?"

"I should be. I woke up at five once! And you both know I'm not a heavy sleeper."

"If you say so," her mother said.

The movie had just gotten into an exciting part where the hero was coming to face off with the villains who had kidnapped his sister. Oyuun soon found herself lost in watching it and didn't think anything else about the school or the _shulam_ until, perhaps, she went to sleep.

* * *

_"Why do you want to force me away?"_

_Why indeed?_

_"Why do you think, that just because you're in a special position...you can do with me as you please?"_

_Why indeed?_

_"Answer me!"_

_How?_

_A bright light. Bright and shining, so powerful that it dwarfed the darkness and the two fiery red globes that stood for eyes._

_"Leave her be," a commanding voice ordered. It was strong and smooth and serene. A brave woman's voice. "She is protected by forces such as I. The likes of you cannot reach her in her sleep, unless she were summoned into the Dream World. Save your confrontation for then...she cannot answer you now."  
_

_"Why have you come!?" the first voice argued. "Why did you have to come!? Things were fine before you were here..."_

_"That's none of your business. Leave, now."_

_"Not without leaving behind a present."_

_And then something touched Oyuun's forehead._

_"Remember me," a slithery voice whispered as the scene changed. Tribal yurts were visible everywhere against the burning evening sky, and mounted and running men went back and forth, screaming and slashing at each other. Women ran and children cried. A mother was killed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Khangai is the name of a mountain range in Mongolia, but can be used as a boy's name. He is also the white shaman mentioned in the first chapter and (hint, hint) will be playing a larger role in this fanfic in the near future.


	10. Another Mystery

"Nnngh...Abjiya..."

I grip my head as it throbs with pain and a familiar aura of smoky darkness. When I open my eyes, I realize the talisman is not around my neck; it is lying on the nightstand next to my phone. I quickly take it up and relay my question to the Abjiya. _What happened?_

_You were accosted in your sleep,_ her voice resonates back to me. _By the shulam, it seems. But do not worry, young one, I have fought him off. He can do you no harm for a while._

Alarm spreads in my chest. Accosted by the shulam? But he should be with Castiel! How did he get the power to travel to my house? Then I remember that he could have made use of the Dream World. As I mentioned before, I am able to meet my shaman cousins while sleeping through the Dream World...no matter how far away we are, we will always be able to meet there if we so wish, because it is the realm of dreams that connects every shaman, and consequentially, has no physical limitations on distance. Spirits and demons also have the power to traverse that world freely and enter the respective shaman's dreams. In a similar sense, they can invade a regular person's dreams and create nightmares.

How much damage they can do to a shaman depends on the power of the Protector Spirit and the shaman's own capabilities. A strong shaman and a strong Protector Spirit make a formidable combo. In this case, I can say that my abilities helped me to an extent, but the Abjiya's power was what pulled me through the worst of it. I was not in the Dream World during the attack, but merely asleep, and therefore more vulnerable to the _shulam_.

_How is your head now, young one?_

I sit up in bed and assess the pain. _It still hurts, but it's dull,_ I tell her. _I'll take some aspirin for it, and then get up...it's around time for me to wake up, anyway._ _  
_

_Good._ The Abjiya sounds relieved. _Do you remember what happened?_

I think about it. It is a very fuzzy part of my memory, mostly because of the headache, but also because it didn't take place in the Dream World. "I only remember that I may have had that nightmare again," I say out loud, referring to the nightmare with the tribal raid and dying mother. "But it wasn't as bad as before. Or at least, it wasn't as vivid. It's only coming back to me in fragments."

_Interesting; there must be some significance to that dream. A real event, perhaps._

"Yeah...there were lots of raids back in the day, weren't there, Abjiya?"

_Plenty of tribal squabbles, sometimes leading to war. But enough on that. Get dressed and ready for school, and remember to bring the talisman with you; we'll have to be ready for what's coming next._

* * *

School seemed different for Oyuun now that she knew Castiel was being haunted by the _shulam_. For once in her life, her spiritual duties were standing alongside her academic obligations. Also, it was one thing to be in suspense, wondering on and off whether it was him, but then it was another thing entirely to know for sure that it was him. It certainly didn't make the time spent near him for their history project any easier.

"So, Castiel, what have you come up for King Richard the Lionheart?" Jade asked him as they sat together in study hall.

"Hm?" Castiel asked absentmindedly, as if he had been roused from sleep. "Oh. Yeah, the Lionheart..." He was about to say something, but then his gray eyes zeroed in on Oyuun. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

Oyuun jolted, startled from her thoughts by his rough voice. "N-nothing, I was just waiting to see what you would say..." In truth, she had been thinking very deeply about the _shulam,_ and what she should do about it. Also, she was warily watching him for any signs of the demon, bracing herself for any sudden event or surprises, but if the Abjiya weakened it the other night, then there might have been nothing to worry about.

He shrugged. "Ok...anyways, yeah, about this king...I was thinking I could do a little something on his bio before I get into the crusade stuff. I checked it out on Wiki, and it's got a lot about-"

"Sorry, Castiel," Iris interrupted, "but Wikipedia's not going to be an acceptable source of information. You know, because people can go in and edit it?"

Castiel frowned. "It's not like anyone's going to really do that. I mean, a lot of its articles have stayed the same for years..."

"But the very fact that it can be edited by just about anybody lowers its credibility," Jade explained. "Mr. Faraize is not going to accept it. So I'm afraid you'll have to work with a different source."

"Ah, crap," the redhead cursed. "And I read it all for nothing..."

Oyuun was surprised. "You actually read the entire article?"

"What else?" he asked irritably.

The young shaman could tell that the others of the group were surprised by this as well, but neither of them voiced it, and neither did they let it show on their faces for long.

"Well, Wiki does get its information from other sources," Iris said sympathetically after a while. "If you scroll to the bottom to the References, there might be a link or two for you to try out. Maybe some books to read, too."

He shrugged. "I guess. But damn, that list is long. It'll take me forever."

"Compared to the entire article that you read, it should be a piece of cake," Jade put in with a friendly smile.

But Castiel's face was still stuck in its long frown, and Oyuun didn't have to look far to realize that it had been a challenge for him to have gone through the whole article. And now he needed to do it all over again with the references... _Obviously, he has never known the essence of studying before._ However, it was quite redeeming of him, and she was beginning to realize that he was taking this project seriously.

"U-um, I have a few books at home, about him," Ken said shyly. "M-maybe...if you'd like...you could borrow one?"

The red haired delinquent turned his gaze over to the bespectacled Kentin and scrutinized him carefully. Ken cowered in his seat a while before Castiel gave a curt nod and a grunt. "Guess it wouldn't hurt."

"All right!" Jade said cheerfully. "Now that we've got Castiel on the same page, we can start to-"

At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of study hall and the beginning of another class.

"I guess that's that," Iris said, picking up her books. "See you guys later in History."

"Yeah, see you," Jade said as he, too, gathered his things and left.

Castiel got up and was actually walking beside Ken to ask about the books. "It's not a thick one, isn't it?"

"Well, it has chapters, and-"

"Great. It's a thick one."

"But it has a ton of information! All you gotta do is just take out which bit is important for the bio..."

That left Oyuun on her own to walk to her locker. Not that it was a problem - she found it amusing that Castiel was actually relying on Ken, for example - and her being alone would actually give her the time to contemplate the _shulam_ business.

As she exited the room and walked down the hallway, she could see the shapes of the others ahead of her, talking and planning. Jade and Iris somehow rejoined the group discussion, walking alongside Castiel and Ken to talk with them. _Wow, they actually look like a group of friends,_ she thought, amazed at how the members of her group could be so engrossed with the project Mr. Faraize had given them. Castiel, especially.

_Maybe he's looking up for his grades, for once. Maybe he's actually serious about doing something academic._

Or was history just his thing? Whatever it was, Oyuun smiled as she turned the bend and branched away from them. If he were involved in something more positive, maybe the _shulam_ would not have as much negative energy to feed on. And that would make her job a whole lot easier.

But just as she was going down the hall, a girl with short dark hair and an old portable microphone accosted her in a very newscast sort of way. "Hey! Hi! You're Oyuun Batsaikhan, right? I'm Peggy Martin, and I'm in charge of the school newspaper."

_Peggy Martin?_ The name seemed familiar. Then Oyuun remembered the girl Melody didn't want knowing about her slumber-birthday party. Kim had put a lot of emphasis on her nosiness. Curious as to what she might want, Oyuun braced herself for any questions about the slumber-birthday party with intentions to deny them and replied, "Hi Peggy. Yes, that's me-"

"Great!" Peggy interrupted enthusiastically. "I heard you saw a ghost in the school at night, and that you even ran an investigation on the subject. What can you tell me about it?" She pushed the mic up to Oyuun's face.

Oyuun backed up, a little weirded out by the mic. "Um, what?"

"Did you discover anything, do you know what it is, or what happens here at night?"

Oyuun shook her head. "No, no, no...there was a misunderstanding. There was no ghost. I just let my imagination get the better of me. And I wasn't investigating..."

"Really?" Peggy seemed visibly disappointed. "I hope you're not hiding anything from me. One way or another, I'll figure out the truth, you know!"

_Persistent much?_ Oyuun found herself growing annoyed, and said, "No, there's nothing more to it other than that. If you wanted a better account, perhaps you should've asked Li."

Peggy shook her head. "Li's not a reliable source! Her story has already changed by now...I thought you'd be different..." But then there was a commotion coming from the student council room, in which it sounded as if an old lady was yelling at someone, and Peggy immediately perked up. "Is that Shermansky I hear? Sounds like she's scolding someone from the student council; I better go take a look!" And like that, she zipped off.

Oyuun stared after her for a while before shaking her head. No wonder Melody didn't want her knowing about her party! The girl was a real busybody. And now she was most definitely sticking her nose into whatever was happening in that council room. The shaman girl walked past it as she continued on her way, and she believed she heard Nathaniel's voice in the fray along with Shermansky's chiding; being more submissive, of course; but decided not to linger near the room lest Peggy thought she had an interest in it, too. As she walked by she could see the nosy head of the school newspaper listening in on the conversation from behind the door.

Even after she reached the far end of the hall, Oyuun could hear Shermansky's noisy exit and her shrill voice screaming, "Nathaniel, I'm warning you for the last time; if this isn't settled quickly, it won't be one hour of detention that you risk, but definite expulsion from the high school!"

The shaman's head immediately turned back at those words, and she saw a very flustered looking Nathaniel hanging his head down, facing an angry Principal Shermansky. The both of them were unaware of Peggy slinking away while they were still occupied with each other.

Oyuun frowned and thought, _I should steer clear of that girl,_ but was quickly jolted most uncomfortably when the principal caught her staring and curtly snapped, "This is none of your business, young lady! I suggest you get to class as soon as possible."

Oyuun turned back around faster than the speed of light. "Yes, Principal Shermansky."

The angry click-clack of the principal's heels stomping on the floor quickly diminished behind her, and Oyuun could only think that Shermansky had left in the opposite direction. Chancing a little look back, she realized it was the truth, and soon she and Nathaniel were the only ones left in the hallway.

The student body president sighed and ran a defeated hand through his blonde hair. Oyuun suddenly felt bad for him, seeing him slumped and discouraged rather than friendly and cheerful, like he usually was. It was almost enough to put the latest fiasco with Amber aside - almost - and so Oyuun decided to just keep walking and leave it at that. He would not appreciate her standing there, anyway...

"You heard everything?" she suddenly heard his weary voice ask her from up the hall.

Oyuun turned around. "No, I was just going down the hall when she burst out yelling at you." She came a few steps closer to him. "Is...is everything ok?"

He put an exasperated hand up to his forehead. "Someone stole some documents from the teacher's lounge."

"But how is that your fault? They should be the responsibility of the teachers, not you!"

"I know, but teacher's lounge is always locked, and I'm the only student who has a copy. My key disappeared and now the principal thinks I have something to do with it."

Oyuun had a bad feeling about this. _Is it Castiel? He's the expert here on stealing Nathaniel's keys. And he said he stole a lot of them..._ _maybe that's why he's paying so much attention to this history project; to get good grades and make it seem like he didn't do it...? I wouldn't put it past him._

"Well, it's easy to understand how she came to that conclusion," Oyuun remarked as she walked closer.

"I have nothing to do with it, though," Nathaniel protested. "It's quite obvious that someone stole my key, and then stole the documents from the teacher's lounge..." He sounded so strained and panicked that Oyuun couldn't help but feel a prickle of pity for him. "If I don't get this sorted out quickly, as the principal said, I'll be expelled...I don't know what to do..." Nathaniel sighed and paced nervously several steps around the door. He took an instinctive look at his watch, and then said, "Never mind this, Oyuun, I really shouldn't have been bothering you. You should get to class before you're late."

"Um, Nathaniel-" Oyuun paused, quickly placing a hand on his arm as if to stop him from dismissing her too soon. She could hardly believe herself, but her next words to him were, "I'll keep my eyes peeled for this key. I guess, if there are any official-looking documents that seem out of place, I'll look out for them too."

He blinked, as if he didn't believe what she was saying. "Thanks," he said a little breathily, and a sigh of relief escaped him. "I...I didn't think you'd want to..."

He was probably referring to her anger when he tried to reimburse her for the money Amber stole. It was not yet put past her, but Oyuun decided that it could hardly matter now, what with this trouble he was facing. _I mean, expulsion? That's a very big threat..._ "Well, you've always tried to be nice to me, despite everything," she said at last, and found that to be true. Even if he hadn't been dealing with the Amber issue properly, he had been very courteous and nice towards her. "You deserve some help every now and then."

Nathaniel smiled. "In that case, report to me if you find anything of interest. I know we're not allowed to text in class, but just shoot me one in between classes or during break, if you discover anything." And he proceeded to give her his cell phone number, written neatly on a scrap of paper, which she took and put into her pocket. "I'll check it regularly."

"Sounds good," Oyuun said. "I'll definitely keep you posted." And with a parting smile, she continued walking on to class.

* * *

"Wind of the plains," the young shaman spell-chanted, "find for me a lost key."

A gust of wind expelled from her palms and raced through the halls of Sweet Amoris High. Oyuun crossed her arms in smug appreciation, grateful for the convenience her shaman powers could offer her at times. It wouldn't hurt to cut some corners in finding the key. It would take a while, though, because she didn't know what the key looked like in the first place. Being able to imagine the physical attributes of the object she was looking for was a crucial part of the spell. But she was fine with that, willing to wait it out a few classes or so. For the documents, however, she'd have to find them herself, for she didn't think that having papers blown in all sorts of directions was very inconspicuous.

In addition to suspecting the _shulam_ pulling another one of its pranks, Oyuun held Amber partly accountable, mostly due to her relationship with Nathaniel and the higher availability of the key to her. But what benefit would she have in stealing those documents? Unless they were something about her grade? Or maybe she was sabotaging a class in general. Whatever reason it was, Oyuun decided to keep an eye on Amber and her cronies. However, the more likely perpetrator seemed to be Castiel, for he certainly would enjoy seeing Nathaniel get expelled.

In the meantime, it didn't hurt to ask a few questions of the other students, in case they had seen the key elsewhere or knew someone who picked it up. Her first one was Kim, who she happened to come across while moving to her next class.

"Hey, Kim," she greeted. "Have you seen a key anywhere?"

"You lost one?" the other girl asked.

Oyuun shrugged. "Maybe."

"No, sorry," Kim replied.

"Oh, ok." Oyuun smiled. "Thanks, anyway."

The second one was Melody, who Oyuun was partnered with in Science for an experiment. "Hey, Melody, have you seen a key lying around, by any chance?"

Melody looked at her inquisitively. "Is it Nathaniel's key?"

Oyuun looked up, surprised. "Yeah," she admitted. "How'd you know? Are you in the student council, too?"

"No, but I work as a delegate for our class, so I help out from time to time." The brunette added a drop of liquid from a delicate glass pipette into the beaker. "How did _you_ know about it?" she asked.

"I was walking down the hall when I heard Shermansky screaming about it," Oyuun explained. "Nathaniel told me the details after that, because I guess it would've been awkward if he didn't..."

"It's a terrible thing, isn't it? I wonder who could've done that?"

"Yeah, I wonder too..."

She didn't have any luck with Violette either, who she approached when art class was beginning. News of Nathaniel's trouble seemed to have spread around by now, so Oyuun guessed she could be a bit more transparent about it than she had been before. The wind had not come back to her yet, either. "Um, Violette, I'm looking for a key. Have you seen one?"

The purple-haired girl looked up at the shaman toughtfully and said, "No, sorry, I didn't notice anything..."

And now as the class next to lunchtime rolled around, Oyuun began to feel a little worried. She thought she'd at least find this darned key by now...she'd been searching the halls in between classes, asking her fellow students, sensing for the wind and if it would return with something...and so far, there were no signs of any documents either. Nathaniel's future was hanging in the balance and she felt as though she were letting him down by failing to find anything.

"Why the long face, Oyuun?"

The shaman girl perked up from sulking by her locker and met the heterochromatic gaze of Lysander's eyes. "Oh, Lysander," she said, a little surprised. It was quite different meeting him in the school during actual daytime. "I was just...frustrated about something...you know how the student body president is in trouble with the principal for a lost key?"

"Indeed, I have heard of it," Lysander acknowledged.

"I felt bad for him, so I decided to help him find it. But I haven't found any trace of it so far." Her cellphone in her locker _dinged_ with the familiar tone of a received text message. She opened the locker again and took the cell phone out to take a look. It was from Nathaniel's number, and it read:

_Forgot to tell you, the documents stolen are the upcoming exams._

"That makes it even _more_ pressing," she muttered to herself. Then she turned her phone on to vibrate and put it back in the locker.

Lysander had seen the text over her shoulder and frowned. "That is quite troubling. Would you like for me to lend you a hand?"

Oyuun blinked. She didn't know much about Lysander, but she was surprised that he would actually want to help out. Being that he was Castiel's friend and all. "R-really? You'd do that?"

"It wouldn't be nice of me to leave you looking for it on your own."

She had to give him credit; his dressing up like a Victorian probably gave him the gentlemanly manners of the era. Unlike a certain gray-eyed redhead! Oyuun couldn't have felt more encouraged at that moment to continue her search. "In that case, thank you! Thank you very much! I'll go onto my class now, but I'll certainly meet up with you later to see if you've found anything."

"Very well," he said. "In the courtyard at lunch, then?"

"Sounds good."

And she left, a renewed energy revitalizing her steps. _But if the wind shows up before then, I'll just tell him I found it on the ground or something,_ she thought. _Still, I didn't think it would take this long..._ As she rounded the corner, she started humming to herself, when she noticed Castiel also coming up around the bend. She froze, remembering her suspicions, and wondered if he knew something of the key.

"Well, whaddya know. Hey there, Butt-saikhan," he said when he saw her.

_Ugh..._ "Hi, Castiel," she acknowledged grimly.

"What's up? Been having a bad day?"

She frowned. He seemed normal. Then again, he was probably so used to stealing keys that it felt like nothing to him. "I've been trying to help Nathaniel find the key he lost," she said. "You must've heard of it by now."

His face grew sour. "Let me guess; you think it has something to do with me?"

"I didn't say anything about you," she countered, and would loved to have left it at that, but the nagging feeling that he was involved would not leave her alone. She remembered Nathaniel's distraught face and pressed on. "But maybe it _does_ have something to do with you. You told me you stole keys from Nathaniel before."

"I never said I took the teacher's lounge key," Castiel defended himself.

"This just happened today," she said. "Who knows if you-"

"Ok, are you trying to accuse me now?" Castiel asked, voice rising in volume.

"Maybe, maybe not," Oyuun shrugged. "I didn't say that I was suspecting you, and yet you just assumed that I was. You're also the one who has the most benefit in Nathaniel's expulsion, if it happens. So cough it up; do you know where the key is?"

Castiel scoffed in disbelief and balled his hand into a fist. "I can't believe this, Butt-saikhan. It wasn't me! As much as you're ready to blame the delinquent, you can't do that without any evidence-"

"Of course I know that, but I'm saying you're very likely to have done it." She glared at him, her golden eyes searing into his gray ones. "Do you know how serious an expulsion is? And you're willing, no, eager, to watch Nathaniel go through it-"

"And so that's why I'm suddenly a suspect? Because I don't like the dude? I hate getting into trouble half as much as you do, Butt-saikhan, so while I might pull his leg once in a while, I'm not going to ruin his life just because-"

"If you really hated getting into trouble, you wouldn't be skipping classes!" Oyuun interrpted. "You were ready to injure him once; what can you possibly say to make me think you won't try to ruin his academic career?"

"Shut up, Oyuun! I have _nothing_ to do with it!" Castiel shouted back. Suddenly, his voice seemed to take on a strange quality, as if two people were screaming at once. The first voice was obviously his, but the other one was a gritty, low, scraping sound, similar to the deep resonating of a bell and the cringing whine of sharp claws scratching on glass at the same time. It was so shrill that Oyuun could feel her eardrums quivering with pressure.

The young shaman shut the noise out as best as she could with her hands to her ears. A chilling aura began to exude from him and an ominous darkness shadowed his features dramatically, so she knew it was the _shulam_ screaming at her. _Any higher and he really might burst my ears. I shouldn't have antagonized him,_ she thought, feeling the talisman spin wildly against her chest. _Abjiya, help!_

They were interrupted when a forceful gust of Oyuun's spell wind rushed by and began to center around her. _Huh!? What's happening!?_ She had barely the time to call it off or take any action when it suddenly whirled before her feet and then dispersed as abruptly as it had come, making a little _clink_ noise as it dropped something small and metallic onto the floor.

A key.

"What...?" Castiel asked confusedly, and Oyuun stared down at the key in shock. The aura was gone and the darkness dissipated, almost as if nothing had ever happened between them.

There were several moments of silence before Oyuun bent down to pick up the key. "Eh-heh," she chuckled nervously. "Looks like I found it..." _So it wasn't him,_ she thought. _I was wrong...Oh gods, I judged him too quickly. He must be seething right now! And not just that, he saw the wind bring the key to me!  
_

Castiel took a step or two back, and said to her, "You must be haunted or something."

"That...that could've happened for a number of reasons...it doesn't mean I'm haunted!" she protested. He seemed not to have noticed the supernatural change in his voice and appearance when he yelled at her. Or if he did, he did not show it.

"Weird things happen when I'm around you," Castiel reminded her. "If that's not being haunted, I don't know what it is."

"It was probably just some faulty air conditioning..." She pocketed the key and made her shaky way past him. "I'm just gonna hang onto this and...give it to Nathaniel after class..." She then paused in her steps, remembering her mistake, and turned back around slowly. "Oh, um, Castiel?"

"Hm?"

"I..." She sighed. "I'm sorry about thinking it was you...I was wrong."

"Of course you were wrong," he stated smugly.

"Then...I'll see you later..." She turned around and began walking down the hall. She put a worried hand over one of her aching ears as she moved.

* * *

Nathaniel was not in the student council room, so Oyuun went out to the courtyard with her lunch and took her cell phone along to text him the news. She sat down under the shade of a tree and texted:

_Found the key. It was on the ground in the halls. Meet u l8tr?_

When it was sent, Lysander arrived with his lunch and sat down beside her. "I'm afraid I wasn't able to find anything," he apologized. "What about you?"

Oyuun smiled at him and said, "I found it somewhere in the hallways. I'm going to give it to him later, since he wasn't available."

The silver haired boy smiled. "That sounds good."

"All that's left are the documents," Oyuun remarked. "I'm not sure how that'll go, though. But I guess I shouldn't drag you in any farther, so you don't have to help me anymore."

Lysander cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"All right. But if you should need my help, don't hesitate to ask."

Oyuun was once again struck by his willingness to aid her. They had only met the other night in the practice room, and she was under the impression that he was displeased by her intruding on his and Castiel's space. So why was he doing this? In fact, why was he at her locker at the right moment...? "Um, Lysander?"

"Yes?" He was beginning to unravel the plastic wrap of his sandwich.

Oyuun decided to open up her lunch, too. "What...what made you come to my locker? And what possessed you to help me?" She quickly corrected herself, "I mean...because, we barely know each other, and...I'm helping out your best friend's enemy."

He seemed thoughtful for a moment. "I was a bit curious about you, I suppose. Castiel talked about you quite a bit before we really met. I wanted to see if what he said was true."

"What did he say?"

"That you're strange, and probably haunted."

She fought the urge to face-palm. "I guess you've heard of those incidents..."

He nodded. "They do sound quite supernatural, if you'll pardon my saying so." After a while, he added, "Also, I do not share in Castiel's vendetta for Nathaniel."

She sighed. "I guess." And that was all that was said between them during lunch; they ate their food quietly and went on their separate ways. Oyuun could not help but think that it was the strangest meal she had ever had in her life, and was thus relieved to put it behind her when she arrived once more at the student council room.

She peeked in through the door and was reassured to find that Nathaniel was the only other person there. Before she could give him so much as a greeting, he immediately came over to her and pulled her into the room. "You have the key?" he asked eagerly.

"Here," she said, placing the metallic object in his palm. It was quite rewarding to see the joyful look on his face. "It wasn't easy, though, I'll tell you..."

"Now I just have to find the exams that were stolen," he said, stating the obvious. He then sighed. "But where will I begin...?"

Oyuun tilted her head in thought. She had an idea, one in which she believed she could use her shaman powers again. "Perhaps we could check out the teacher's lounge and see if there are any clues there, now that you have the key?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "I'm already in enough trouble as it is. If someone sees you or me in the teacher's lounge, it wouldn't be good."

"Seriously?" she groaned. "Why can't these teachers just make more copies of the exam?"

"The original is among the stolen, too."

_Wow...this stupid administration..._ "Checking for clues is our only chance, then. I'll go in and do it for you. It's better than going into this search blindly, without any leads."

Nathaniel sighed. "That's true...are you sure you want to risk it?"

Oyuun nodded.

He immediately put on his game face. "This is what I suggest, then. We check the hall and as soon as it's clear that Shermansky or any other teachers aren't around, I'll open the door to the lounge for you. I can only let you in once, so be quick, ok?"

He must have been pretty desperate to save his school record if he was willing to break the rules. Oyuun wanted to have a shot at it, though, for she was itching to see if she could catch any traces of the _shulam_ in the teacher's lounge. If it had been able to travel to her house from its place within Castiel, then it should be capable of some mobility to do mischief away from its host. She hadn't felt any of its essence on the key, but perhaps there would be some in the lounge, and it could lead her to a spiritual trail to the exams.

"Got it," she said, and they quickly went to work.

* * *

Sneaking around like the agents of Mission Impossible, Oyuun and Nathaniel arrived at the fated hallway where the teacher's lounge was located. They had seen Shermansky prowling about the halls like an angry predator before she retreated into her office, and they luckily avoided her. Oyuun felt quite calm about the entire affair, seeing as she had gone through the school at night before to uncover the mystery of the _shulam's_ host, but Nathaniel was sweaty and nervous as if he were about to commit a crime.

"F-follow me," he stuttered, and lead her up to the lounge door.

After a quick peek through the window of the door, he brought out his key and unlocked it. "Remember, be quick," he reminded her. "And if you find any clues..." He left his sentence unfinished and simply watched anxiously as she slipped through the door.

She pushed it closed with a gentle _clack_ behind her and straightened up, looking around the room. It was a small one with orange couches and a glass coffee table, a bulletin board on the wall, some file cabinets, a counter with a coffee-making machine, and a mini-fridge. _Hmmm..._ She looked around, pacing about the room as she kept her eyes peeled for any clues.

_Abjiya, help me out here; let me know if you sense anything out of place,_ she communicated to the older shaman.

_Will do, young one._

First thing's first; the exams would have been kept in a file cabinet before they were stolen. Oyuun saw more than just one cabinet, though, so she wasn't sure which one it was. She checked each of their handles to see if she could sense a presence on either one... _nothing..._ she did not bother opening any of the cabinets, as that would not have really aided her. She checked behind the cabinets, the mini-fridge, around the coffee-making machine...still nothing.

What drew her next was the area around the coffee tables. Whoever it was, _shulam_ or not, would have passed by the tables and couches on their way out of the lounge. There was nothing but dust and crumbs on the ground by the tables, though. She made a face as she saw a dead fly by one of the crumbs and straightened up to start looking by the couches. _There must be_ something _around here..._ but she was beginning to feel a little convinced that the _shulam_ was not at all involved in this theft. If it was, she would have felt something by now.

And then she found it. A little bracelet studded with mock-turquoise beads lying under the outermost edge of the first couch, snapped in two. She reached for it, careful to collect any beads that had fallen out in the process.

_Oh my,_ she thought, _this bracelet seems familiar. It looks a lot like the turquoise jewelry Amber likes to wear._

_I am sorry, young one, I have found no otherworldly traces,_ the Abjiya reported.

_Neither have I,_ Oyuun said, and she found herself growing deflated. She had believed, even if for a moment, that there might be something about the _shulam_...but, oh well. At least she succeeded in helping Nathaniel, right?

The doorknob to the teacher's lounge suddenly moved, though, and Oyuun snapped her head around to confront it. _Someone is coming!_ she thought, heart beating with anxiety. _Where can I hide!?_ As much as she prided herself in her shaman powers, they could not help her now if she was to be discovered. _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..._

But it was only Nathaniel, who peeked his worried face in. "Oyuun, are you done yet? Shermansky is coming down the hall!"

She quickly leapt to her feet and ran out of the door with him. Without thinking, the both of them ran down the bend so that Shermansky would not catch them anywhere near the teacher's lounge. It was a lucky thing that the door of the lounge was the type of door to close on its own; otherwise, the principal might have thought something was amiss if she found the door hanging open.

"So?" Nathaniel asked. "Did you get anything?"

Oyuun wordlessly handed him the snapped bracelet, beads and all. "I believe this belongs to your sister," she supplied. "You can tell from the rugged perforation that it was recently snapped," she added. "Otherwise, it would have been smoothed with time."

He stared down speechlessly at the broken jewelry.

"She must know something about the exams," Oyuun said, "so maybe we should go and see about that...?"

"I..." Nathaniel swallowed, and stuffed the bracelet in his pocket. "This does not prove anything yet."

Oyuun raised an eyebrow. "Maybe...c'mon, let's just get back to the council room, for starters." _Although I would seriously suggest searching Amber's locker!_ Which, she believed, the blonde witch had moved the location of due to the spray paint incident.

They headed down the hallway, the subject of the missing exams still unsolved, when the Abjiya vibrated in the talisman and whispered to her, _Oyuun, look to your left._

Oyuun did, and saw Amber and her cronies in an empty classroom, apparently talking to each other.

"Hey, Nathaniel." She gestured him over, motioning for him to stop behind her as she went up to the door. It was not completely closed, so she could hear the girls talking inside:

"Ugh, I lost my bracelet in the teacher's lounge!" Amber complained. "I can't believe...damn it, I have to get it back, or someone will find out it was me who stole the exams!"

_Oh. My. Wow._ Oyuun couldn't believe her luck. Amber just confessed to her crime, right then and there! No one could have come closer to any proof than that. If only the problem with the _shulam_ had been this easy...but then again, they were two totally different things. _I guess this means I can continue with my normal life now,_ Oyuun thought, glad to have gotten to the bottom of this problem. Now Nathaniel wouldn't have to be expelled anymore!

"Oh my god, Amber, you should've been more careful!" Li hissed.

"I only noticed it was missing just now! Uggh, I can't believe it..." Amber paused, and turned toward the doorway. "Wait a minute..." She went over and opened the door fully, revealing Oyuun. "What are you doing here!?" she shrieked, obviously enraged. "How long have you been there, you nosy freak?"

Oyuun drew back defensively and glared at Amber. "That doesn't matter. You stole the exams and let Nathaniel take the blame! Why on earth would you do that?"

"So what? It's none of your business!"

"Nosy _bitch_ ," Oyuun could hear Charlotte remarking from behind Amber.

"You stole the exams, which makes it every bit my business, since I'm a student here," Oyuun continued. "But that's not the point; why would you do this to your brother?"

Amber reddened and crossed her arms angrily. "Why should I have to tell you, Butt-saikhan? Think you're so righteous, now that you've heard me? Who the hell gave you permission to intrude on me, anyway? You don't have the right to lecture me on my morals." Li and Charlotte were closing in defensively beside her, as if to overshadow Oyuun. "And as class president, if Nat won't take my side, I'd prefer he lose his post, so then he can't have me punished! You may have heard me confess myself, but you don't have the exams to prove it, do you?" She smiled mockingly at Oyuun. "You can't do anything about it, Butt-saikhan."

"But I can," Nathaniel said, stepping out from behind Oyuun and into Amber's view.

Amber was shocked speechless before stuttering out, "Wha...wha...how!?"

"I'm giving you permission to search Amber's locker," Nathaniel said to Oyuun. "Maybe you'll find the exams there; if you do, wait for me in the student council room. I'll be having a talk with Amber in the meantime."

"Ok," Oyuun said, and left the scene. She chanced a look back to make sure none of the girls were trying to follow her out; when there weren't, she continued on her way and came to a stop at Amber's new locker. _Wait. I don't have the combination. So how do I...?_

"Is this what you're looking for?" Lysander suddenly appeared, holding a manila envelope.

"Lysander!" Oyuun exclaimed. "Where'd you find it?" she asked, pointing to the envelope. The back of it was marked 'IMPORTANT FILES'.

"It was pretty easy," Lysander explained. "I found it on the top of Amber's locker."

_Can this girl get any more obvious!?_ "That's a relief," Oyuun said. "How was it placed, though? Because if it was sticking off the edge, someone else would've found it first."

"It was pushed all the way back against the wall," Lysander explained. "I only found it after I got the idea to check the tops of the lockers. If the school were to start a search, it would've been inconvenient for the thief to have the documents placed _in_ their locker, so perhaps they would try to put it in a visibly challenging place _on_ the locker. At least, that was my reasoning."

Oyuun had to give credit to Lysander's Victorian detective work as well. She certainly hadn't thought of that and had been planning to ask Nathaniel for Amber's combination key (if she would've given it, that is). But now that he mentioned it, it made sense.

"You have some brilliant reasoning," Oyuun complimented him and gestured for him to follow. "Come on then, we should get the file to the student council room."

When they got there, Nathaniel was already in the room looking dejected and miserable. He ignored the fact that Oyuun had brought another person along with her and accepted the documents wearily. After checking the contents, he said, "These are the exams, all right. Everything appears to be in order." He smiled, feeling relieved. "I'm going to tell Shermansky everything about it...I hope the both of you will be willing to stand as my witnesses?"

Oyuun raised an eyebrow. "You're going to put Amber in trouble?"

Nathaniel blinked. "Of course I am. She did this, after all..."

"I'd be happy to back you up to Shermansky. And you, Lysander?" She turned around and looked at the Victorian boy inquisitively.

"I suppose I will," Lysander said. "I'm the one who found the documents on her locker, after all." He proceeded to tell Nathaniel of how the exams had been hidden.

"In that case, stay posted," Nathaniel said. "I'll talk to Shermansky about it first, and if she asks for a testimony, I'll have the both of you come in. Oh, and, Oyuun..." He looked at her. "Let's not tell her about the episode with the teacher's lounge." He made a suggesting cough. "All right?"

Oyuun immediately understood. "All right," she replied with a knowing smile.

* * *

Just as Nathaniel had said, he brought the matter up to Principal Shermansky and only had to invite Oyuun and Lysander in once to speak with her. Oyuun told her that she overheard Amber talking about stealing the documents to Li and Charlotte; Lysander said he found them on the top of her locker. After having received the details, Shermansky shut them out to talk with Nathaniel and the other members of the student council as well as the administration.

Oyuun exited the principal's office feeling light and happy. Finally, Nathaniel was acknowledging his sister's evil side! She did feel bad for him, but what mattered to her more was that he knew the truth and would perhaps deal more fairly in matters concerning her and her cronies' mischief.

Kentin dashed over to her in concern, taking her by surprise.

"Oh my gosh, Oyuun, why you were called up to the principal's office!? What happened?" He seemed frantic with worry. The call had been made in the middle of their last class, shocking most of the students.

"Everything's fine," she assured him. "It's about something...surprising. I think I'll be at liberty to tell you later."

Lysander came out of the office and gave her a nod goodbye as he left in the opposite direction. Oyuun waved to him and then began walking with Ken to her locker. "Oh yeah," she said, "are we still going to this cafe today?"

"Definitely!" Ken said. "I'll meet you by the school entrance after the gardening club finishes."

"Ok! I don't think I have enough money, though, since Amber took my last ten dollars," Oyuun remarked. "Maybe you could treat me for a day...?" she asked him playfully.

"Come on, Oyuun, I treated you last time," Ken protested playfully as well.

"Awww...Pretty please?"

"Fine," he relented, and gave her a little fist to the arm.

Oyuun gave him a brief, squeezing hug, then giggled and rushed off to her locker. "Thanks! I owe you one!"

* * *

Basketball club was not so bad today either, and Oyuun felt it go by like a breeze. Interestingly enough, Castiel came late, more like halfway into practice. Then she wondered, how was Castiel going to be affected, now that the ward was slowly closing in on the _shulam_? She was without a doubt that the previous times he had been feeling bad while in the club was due to the ward. He seemed ok for now, though...

As always, she left the club with ringing encouragements from Dajan. She appreciated his sunny nature, but the compliments were just too much. Saying that the NBA might one day recruit her was, perhaps, over the top.

_Well, at least today ended well,_ she thought as she opened her locker to scoop out her backpack. _Now to meet up with Kentin and enjoy that new cafe!_ In fact, it couldn't have ended better. She brushed a strand of sweat-sticky hair out of her eyes and shouldered the backpack as she closed her locker door with a _clang._ She locked it up for the day when suddenly, a shadow came over her.

"Butt-saikhan!"

Oyuun groaned. It wasn't Castiel. No, the owner of this voice was a girl; more specifically, _Amber._ "What do you want?" Oyuun asked, not looking back.

The taller blonde grabbed her by the arm and made her turn around anyway. She was alone; neither Li nor Charlotte were with her. That probably meant the situation was not as dangerous as it should have been, but Oyuun felt wary anyways. Amber, though a petty adversary, was capable of doing a lot of damage on her own...hence the whole stolen exams fiasco.

"I hope you're happy," Amber began in a wrathful hiss. "I've been suspended for several days, thanks to you! All of this is your fault! You had better watch out, you are going to _regret it_ when I get back!"

Oyuun jerked her arm free of the other girl's grasp. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised to find you're not feeling any bit guilty for what you almost did to Nathaniel," she spat.

"Don't you dare mention him," Amber warned. "He never would've found out if it weren't for you and your meddling!"

"You seriously wouldn't have cared if he got expelled?" Oyuun asked incredulously. "Did his academic career mean so little to you? How could you do that?"

"I'll do whatever I want, whenever I want!" Amber exclaimed, and pushed Oyuun on the shoulder so that she was backed up against her locker. "If Nat won't side with me, I'm better off without a brother like him!"

Oyuun balled her hand into a fist. She'd had it with Amber and her selfishness. All her frustration rose to the surface and began to pour out in one go. "You're crazy!" she shouted. "Do you know how many times your brother has defended you until now!? He is the _student body president_ for Christ's sake, he should have reported you eons ago, but he did not! It was completely selfish of you to make him choose between his job and you in the first place! If anyone has to go, it's got to be _you!_ "

That seemed to be the snapping point for Amber. She raised her hand in the air and zeroed in on Oyuun's cheek for a painful slap. The shaman girl instinctively closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact.

" _Hey!_ " Castiel's voice suddenly cut through the chaos. "What do you think you're doing?"

_Castiel?_ Oyuun opened her eyes and turned to her right. There he was, looking quite flustered.

Amber immediately looked up and paused, her palm just inches away from Oyuun's cheek, although she didn't seem any bit remorseful. "Oh? And what does this have to do with you?" the blonde shot back.

Castiel stomped over to the lockers and separated them just by walking in between them. He turned to Oyuun first. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Oyuun mentally groaned. The situation could not have been worse. Amber was in the middle of bullying her, and who should come to her rescue but the diva's crush? Now she would definitely be sure to make Oyuun regret her return to school. "I'm ok, she didn't do anything," Oyuun reassured him, slipping out from under his shadow. "It's all right, really..."

Amber was at a loss for words. A kettle-steaming, diva-angry, smoke-out-of-the-ears kind of loss for words. "What the hell!?" she almost shrieked. "Why are you helping _her,_ of all people!? Are you two dating or something?"

Castiel immediately whirled back around to face Amber, dragging Oyuun back along with him in the process. He placed a strong arm around her shoulders, almost hooking around her neck. "Do we have to be dating to help each other out? Only airheads would come to that sort of conclusion every single time."

"Casti...Casti-ackk..." Oyuun struggled to say. The hand that belonged to the arm resting on her shoulders was gripping the collar of her shirt too tightly against her neck, causing her to choke. "Let go of m...muh..."

"It was none of your business!" Amber continued. "You didn't have to come in between us! If you weren't dating, you wouldn't have rushed so quickly to her!"

Castiel rolled his eyes. "You never learn, do you?" He shook his head slowly, as if Amber was a problematic child who just wasn't understanding. "One thing's for sure; I'd rather be dating Oyuun than you. At least she doesn't bitch and whine about pointless things like you do."

_WHAAAAT!?_ Oyuun's eyes widened. It wasn't helping that she couldn't breathe, either. _No, no, no, stupid Castiel, you're going to get me into a BOATLOAD of trouble! That is, if I don't die of suffocation first!_ In fact, her face was beginning to grow red, and the world around her began to spin ever so lightly.

Amber drew back as if a poisonous snake had bitten her. "You..." Her face was certainly reflective of the sudden pain that would have come along with a surprise snake bite. For a moment, Oyuun felt bad for her; _it must really hurt to hear a crush of yours say they prefer someone you dislike to your face_...

"You are _so_ going to regret it when I come back, Butt-saikhan," Amber seethed, and as she stomped away, Oyuun felt the small spark of pity disappear in an instant.

Castiel chuckled after the retreating diva's footsteps. "We showed her up this time," he remarked, and turned to the red-faced Oyuun. "That's how you should deal with...Hm? Butt-saikhan? Are you blushing?" he asked teasingly.

Oyuun shook her head vigorously. "No...blush...can't... _breathe..._ "

Castiel then realized how his hand was constricting her shirt collar and immediately released it. "Oh god, sorry about that. I really didn't mean to...You ok?"

The young shaman immediately drank in a much needed breath of air. She dizzily stumbled forward as she tried to reorient herself, falling onto Castiel as he held out his arms to catch her. "I'm fine," she insisted, rising to her feet. Despite that, he continued to hold her steadily by the elbows as she rose. "Thanks, Cas..." She paused as her eyes stared ahead in shock.

"What is it?" Castiel asked, and turned around so he could see what made her freeze.

Kentin.

The redhead didn't understand the significance of the bespectacled boy's dismayed look, or Oyuun's shocked one, so he did not yet step away from the shaman girl until she pushed him away herself. "What gives?" he asked a bit irritably, but she ignored him.

"Ken, I..." Oyuun began, but the words stuck in her throat. She normally would not have felt guilty for being caught in such a position with another boy in front of someone else (except maybe for her parents), but with Kentin, who had an unrequited crush on her that she was aware of, she knew what she had just done. She had made him think that she and Castiel were hugging each other closely. It did not help that her face was still quite red, and her hair mussed up from being pushed against the locker. "It's not...he was helping me..."

Ken was silent for a while before saying meekly, "I was waiting for you, Oyuun...you took a while, so I thought something had happened to you, and I..." He didn't have to finish the sentence to tell her he had gone looking for her. "If you didn't want to go to the cafe with me, you could've just told me," he said after a while.

"N-no!" Oyuun protested, her heart sinking. "No, Ken, I was meaning to go with you the entire time! But Amber came by when I was just getting ready to leave and wouldn't stop pestering me. Castiel saw it and helped me out, that's all!"

"Yeah..." Kentin turned around, his shoulders slumped. "He...it was really convenient, for him to come...in time..." And then he fled. Kentin ran down the hall, turned around the bend, heading for the entrance.

"No, Ken... _Ken!_ " Oyuun cried.

Castiel, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, finally asked, "What's his problem?"

Oyuun whirled around and glared at Castiel. "Shut up! You know nothing about him! Just...just leave me alone, from now on!" Wiping away her angry tears, she turned on her heels and dashed down the halls in Kentin's direction, hoping she could still catch up to him.


	11. Misunderstandings

"Ken!" Oyuun's hand caught the distraught boy's wrist just as he reached the sidewalk outside the school. "Ken, wait..."

He did not fight back, allowing himself to be pulled by her. They both came to a stop and fell under an awkward silence, in which the issue of their relationship came into consideration. Oyuun now realized how problematic it had been since the day she decided to forgive Ken for falsely saying they were a couple. She accepted his terms of becoming friends again, knowing full well that he still had feelings for her. However, she did not think about how things would be like if a boy were to come in between them. If it was the other way around though, and there was a girl Kentin suddenly liked instead, then Oyuun wouldn't have had to worry about anything.

She blinked the tears back, keeping them from falling, for she did not want to let him see her looking so vulnerable. She was frightened, though; frightened at the prospect of their friendship falling apart all because he caught her in what looked like a hug with another boy.

"Kentin, please, listen to me," Oyuun pleaded with him. "If...if you would just let me explain, you wouldn't have to be so..." All this stuttering was getting her nowhere. When he didn't respond, she said anyway, "Amber was pushing me around. Castiel got in between us and kept Amber away from me. He had me in a bit of a chokehold, so I couldn't breathe and when he let go, I was a bit dizzy...that's why he had his arms around mine. To help me up. That's all there is to it."

Kentin was still silent. Standing at about roughly an inch or so taller than her, she was facing him directly in the back of his head. She couldn't see his troubled expression, and neither could she guess at what he was thinking.

"Oyuun," he said at last. She perked up at the sound of his voice. "Would you like me better if I could protect you like...like Castiel can?"

 _What?_ Oyuun shook her head vigorously. "Kentin, what are you saying? I like you just the way you are. You're my best friend." She looked down at the pavement sadly, uncertain as to why he would ask her such a thing. "How could you think of yourself that way?"

For a moment, her grip slipped down from his wrist to enclose around his hand. It was meant in a friendly gesture, one of comfort and reassurance. But apparently, Kentin took it differently. How differently, Oyuun did not know, but he shook it off in a rough gesture and started walking down the sidewalk.

"Ken-"

"Oyuun," he interrupted her. "I'm going home. See you tomorrow."

He left her staring after his lonely form, fighting back the urge to break down and cry.

* * *

" _Why!?_ Why did Castiel have to help me? _Why couldn't he have just left me alone?_ " She screamed that last question into her pillow, both to stifle her anger and to keep her parents from hearing her.

She left immediately for home after standing in front of the school like a soulless idiot for at least ten minutes. By then, she had become too angry to cry, which was just as well. Crying somehow just wasn't an option. She felt that by crying, she would be admitting to feelings she did not have.

 _Oyuun, you were in danger; anyone would have come to your aid,_ the Abjiya reminded her.

"But I hurt Ken," Oyuun protested. "I don't care what sort of help comes my way, if it hurts Ken to see it, then I'd rather-"

 _Have taken that slap?_ the Abjiya finished for her. _Find a way to negotiate out of the trouble yourself? That is an honorable trait, Oyuun, but there is a boundary where it crosses over and becomes outright ludicrous. Kentin is just flustered by his feelings. Give him a day or two and he'll sort them out; he'll realize by then that what Castiel did was a friendly gesture, nothing more._

"Fine, but I'd rather not be caught anywhere near that redheaded monster," Oyuun said. "Hurting Ken was one thing, but putting me in more hot water with Amber is another. She's totally out to get me now, especially since she heard him...say those things," she finished awkwardly, unable to repeat what Castiel had said.

_You still owe him an apology, however, for what you said back there._

Oyuun ignored this piece of the Abjiya's advice and took off the talisman so that she wouldn't have to argue with her Spirit Protector any longer. She might be summoned to the Dream World tonight to continue the debate, but that was better than getting into it right now. With a frustrated sigh, the young shaman re-plumped her pillow before putting it back neatly on her bed. She turned to the cell phone on her nightstand and checked for any text messages or missed calls.

None.

She placed a call of her own, directed toward Ken. She waited a while for him to pick up, but when she heard his voice, most of her glumness was gone in an instant.

"Hi," he answered in his usual cheery tone.

"Ken, thank goodness, I was hoping we could tal-"

"You've reached Kentin Howard! I can't take a call right now, but if you leave a message after the beep, I'll get back to you as soon as possible!"

 _Oh...I only got into his voice message..._ She sighed again, sinking into her pillows with the cell phone held out in front of her. _I should've known something was up when he said 'hi' instead of 'baina uu'..._

She contemplated calling him again, but decided to leave him a message instead. Perhaps he would call her back once he realized he missed her call. "Hey, Ken," she began, "it's me, Oyuun. If you find the time, please call me back. I really want to talk. I don't...I don't want to lose you. Please don't let what happened with Castiel get in between us. Bayartai." And then she hung up.

Flinging the phone to another corner of her bed, she flipped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. As angry as she was with Castiel, she had to admit that the Abjiya was right about needing to apologize to him. He was, most unfortunately, stuck in a group project with her for History. So was Ken. Oh god...now she realized the awkward implications that it placed on their group effort as a whole. _Iris and Jade will hate me for this,_ Oyuun groaned, covering her eyes with the back of her hand as if too bright of a light had infiltrated them.

" _Okhin_ ," her mother called from downstairs. "Come help me get dinner ready!"

"Coming, _Eje,_ " she responded, and went down the stairs with a heavy feeling in her stomach.

* * *

School the next morning was a pain in the neck. Kentin hadn't returned her call. And he was avoiding her even at the beginning of the school day...

In homeroom, he purposefully sat in a different seat from where he usually sat, which was behind Oyuun. Some raucous teenager took that seat instead and used it to have a paper-ball fight with his friends across the room. Iris noticed the difference and asked the young shaman, "Is everything ok between you and Ken?"

Oyuun groaned. She had hoped the other members of their group project wouldn't notice and ask about it...but she supposed that was a stretch too far to hope for, and one of them would end up asking anyway. "How'd you notice?" she finally asked.

"Well, you both look glum, for starters. And you're not sitting close to each other."

Oyuun looked down at the surface of her desk. "Something happened yesterday, after school..."

"Speaking of which, I heard you and some kid named Lysander got Amber into trouble!" Jade piped up from two desks behind Iris. "You guys busted her out for stealing exams from the teacher's lounge, and got her suspended!" He gave her a double thumbs-up.

The words were quickly taken in by the other students, and they all turned in Oyuun's direction. Hopeful murmurs circled about the room, and excluding Li, everyone else seemed just as awed, if not happy, to hear why Amber wasn't with them today. And would not be, for several more days to come.

"Whatevs," Li grumbled from where she was texting in her seat. "She's going to be back, though, and when she's back..." She left the phrase ominously unfinished and looked up from her phone to glare at Oyuun.

Ignoring Li, Iris was not distracted by the sudden change in subject. Neither was Oyuun.

"Oyuun, what happened yesterday?" Iris asked her quietly.

The shaman girl trembled a bit before telling Iris the details in a grave tone, after which Iris' face fell and Oyuun felt absolutely horrible for putting her into such a complication.

"Well, I think you should apologize to Castiel first," Iris said when she was done.

Oyuun nodded. "I know that. I'm going to...approach him, soon. Definitely before study hall. But...I don't know what to do with Ken..."

"Let me talk with him," Iris offered. "Perhaps he'll talk more freely if it's someone other than you. No offense, Oyuun."

"None taken," Oyuun readily said. How could she ever take offense with that? She was just as aware of Ken's feelings as Iris was.

Castiel, who appeared to be dozing in his seat, opened an eye and cocked an eyebrow in their direction.

* * *

Of all times to be catching Castiel, Oyuun just _had_ to do it when he was skipping class. Not that she wanted to. But when you're taking a bathroom break in the middle of your class and as you're walking back, you catch the buster listening to music in the middle of the freaking hallway, his back propped up against a wall, his arms folded across his chest, his legs stretched out across the walkway, his eyes closed, thinking that no one's around to see him...well, tough luck!

Ahem. Anyway, Oyuun had not expected to find him so obviously planted in such a visible place, practically screaming to be discovered. Didn't he fear getting caught by a teacher? But that wasn't so important anymore. She'd found him, and it was not yet study hall. She figured the least she could do was mend their truce for Iris' and Jade's sake.

 _Should I apologize to him now?_ she wondered. _Or maybe now is not a good time...?_ He seemed occupied with his music-listening. She knew he wasn't asleep because his head was nodding every so often to the beat of the music. Which reminded her that with punks like him, it wasn't a good idea to bother them while they were occupied, especially in the middle of something they were enjoying. _Or maybe he would actually be in a better mood to talk?_ She bit down on her lower lip, torn between the two decisions.

"Need something, Butt-saikhan?" he suddenly asked loudly.

Oyuun jumped. _H-how did he know I was here!?_ She thought his eyes had been closed, and that the music was blocking his hearing.

Castiel slid off one side of the earphones and opened a gray eye at her. "Look, I know you've been standing there for a while now. You might as well just say what you want to say."

Oyuun stood still for a moment before squatting down beside him, not quite sitting, but not quite standing either. It was better to talk at his level, she reasoned, if she wanted to get out of this safely. "U-um, Castiel, I...I was...um...that is...I..."

"Spit it out. I don't have all day."

"O-ok, fine. I meant to apologize for yelling at you like that yesterday." She looked down at the ground, feeling a wave of shame overcome her. "And I should've said 'thank you' for helping me out. But I wish you didn't say you preferred to...to date me over Amber. That just made her angrier. And I could've gotten up on my own without your help..."

He flicked a glance her way and slid the earphones off so that they hung on his neck. "Look, Butt-saikhan, maybe I crossed the line with what I said to Amber. But did you seriously expect me to just stand by and watch you fall? I accidentally choked you, too, so I had some responsibility in it." He scrutinized her carefully. "Why would that upset you, though? Is it something to do with Kentin?"

Oyuun bit her lip as she remembered Ken's reaction. "Yes," she admitted.

"But why would either of you care so much about that? Unless the two of you are together?"

Oyuun let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "No, we're not. It's just, he...do you remember when Amber messed up my ID?"

Castiel nodded.

"She also let out rumors that Kentin and I were dating. Ken was the one who started it...he told her that we were dating...and it was because he actually did like me." She paused a moment, and then continued. "Of course, it was really awkward at first, but then Ken said he would agree to keep it to himself, because he didn't want to lose our friendship. So all this time, he's been friends with me while liking me. That's why I...I don't want to see him hurt."

The redheaded delinquent was silent as he digested the information Oyuun gave him. "But I don't see why," he eventually said, "you should keep doing that unless you're going to really end up with him."

"What do you mean?"

"It sounds to me as if you're taking a pledge to be single just because your best guy friend has a crush on you," Castiel explained. "So, unless you're going to become his girlfriend one day, it makes no sense to do that. Who you fall in love with is your business, not his. Even if it hurts him, he has no right to keep you from that sort of happiness."

Oyuun blinked. She didn't think Castiel could speak so profoundly on so deep a subject. And she had to admit, there was a grain of truth in his words. But still...seeing Ken in such pain hurt her as well.

Castiel shrugged and put his earphones back on. "Maybe you can lessen the blow by giving him a heads-up, or something. But who am I to give any advice? I'm no dating expert."

She stared at him for a while before getting back up to her feet. He was once again absorbed in his music, eyes closed and head rocking to the beat. Oyuun could never understand how someone could just skip class and do this in the middle of the hallway...but at least she talked to him. That was what mattered. She started to walk again, moving in the direction of the classroom she had to go to.

"Oh, and Butt-saikhan?" Castiel called after her.

She paused.

"Apology accepted!"

* * *

Thanks to her peace-making attempts, study hall went more smoothly than Oyuun had expected. Castiel worked with everyone agreeably, and it seemed as though Iris was able to talk a bit of sense into Ken. He still wouldn't speak to Oyuun directly, but he seemed to get along well with Iris and Jade, even sliding over to Castiel the book he promised to let him borrow. The shaman girl hoped that things would improve between the both of them as the day progressed, but...

"Ken?" she asked as they were about to go to their after-school clubs. "Um, how is the _gazriin ezen_ coming along?"

He looked at her expressionlessly and gave a small shrug. "Fine."

Oyuun tried to smile. "That's nice! May I came see it today?"

"You can, if you want. No one's stopping you."

The coldness of his response struck her. "Oh...I was just asking out of courtesy." She mustered up another smile. "I'll see you later, then."

But he had already turned around and was going silently down his own path.

She too walked away to get her things for the basketball club. _Not even a 'see you'?_ she wondered as she went, _or a 'later'? He could have even grunted, but...I didn't think he would stay quiet..._ Her fear of their friendship dissolving was becoming more real by the minute.

It was growing evident to her that Ken was very badly hurt. Perhaps more than she could ever imagine...and it was all her fault.

* * *

The gardening club was occupied in the greenhouse when Oyuun came, so the garden outside was empty. She could see the members of the club through the transparent walls, but they all had their backs to her, engrossed with something she could not see. She was unsure if she saw Ken in there or not, but it didn't matter to her at the moment. She was not here to see him, specifically.

The young shaman sidled against the fence instead to the _oboo_. She was still in her basketball uniform and ponytail, having pretty much come from the gymnasium a little early to visit the garden. She excused herself from the club under the pretense that she was feeling dizzy, and Dajan readily complied. Oyuun sat down beside the misshapen stone pile, which appeared to have acquired a few more stones than before, and touched a stone in the middle.

"I am the shaman Oyuunchimeg," she said quietly in Mongolian. "I mean you no harm. With the power of my ancestors, I summon you to my side."

There was a stillness in the air as if the wind ceased to blow over the garden. Oyuun felt the power thrumming in her fingers and the presence within the stones awakening, responding to her call.

 _Pop!_ A brief flash of light, and a little baby in a Mongolian _deel_ appeared before her.

Oyuun blinked. _Right,_ she thought, _this gazriin ezen is still young. The oboo is not yet very well developed..._ She was a little more used to the full-grown, long-bearded, armed and mounted _gazriin_ _ezen_ she and her cousins used to summon in a forest near her old home. "Hello, little one," she greeted it cheerfully anyway. "What is your name?" _  
_

The baby looked up at her and cooed, holding its arms out. "Baga Uulyn!" it exclaimed.

 _Little mountain,_ Oyuun translated. Nature spirits were born with their own names and automatically knew them. Oyuun therefore knew that Kentin couldn't have come up with that sort of name for the _gazriin ezen,_ even if he was the one who erected the _oboo_. It was highly possible that he had given it a nickname of some sort, however; not that it would've known. "Nice to meet you, Baga Uulyn. Could I just call you Uulyn?"

The baby nodded. "Kentin!" it exclaimed.

Oyuun raised an eyebrow. "Kentin?" she asked.

"Kentin," Uulyn responded.

"Isn't that the name of the one who built your house?" She pointed to the _oboo_. _  
_

"Kentin," Uulyn repeated.

Oyuun frowned, but she was not annoyed. No, this little baby spirit was too cute to be annoyed with. She was frowning out of thought, wondering whether there was any significance in Uulyn's echoing of Ken's name; was he only capable of saying 'Kentin' and his own name? Or was he deliberately repeating Ken's name because he had a sort of affection for him?

Looking at the baby made her think of the first time Ken showed her the _oboo_. She had been angry with him then for lying about them to Amber. Now, however, she wished he would talk to her more.

"Oh...Oh?" Uulyn asked, pointing at Oyuun. It took her a while to realize he was trying to say her name.

She smiled and pointed at herself. "Oyuun," she said slowly, so the baby could repeat after her.

"Yoon," Uulyn said, forgetting the 'o' part. "Yoon!"

Oyuun chuckled in amusement and pat Uulyn on the head, feeling the soft deerskin hat and its fur trimming in her palm. "That's fine, I guess," she said. "You are just a baby, after all."

Uulyn seemed very gratified. "Kentin."

"Well, Uulyn," she said, feeling it was time to go. The students in the greenhouse appeared to be preparing to exit, and Oyuun felt hesitant to see Ken while wearing the basketball uniform. "It has been a pleasure to talk with you. You may reenter your house, and I look forward to seeing you again." Unable to help herself, she gave Uulyn a pinch on his fat cheeks before he slowly faded back into the _oboo_.

"Kentin," Uulyn had said, and happily smiled at her as he went back into the pile of stones.

The young shaman got up to her feet, dusted herself off, walked around the _oboo_ three times, and added another stone to the pile before making her lonely way back to the gymnasium.

* * *

The next day, Oyuun continued to receive the same stoic, silent treatment from Ken. He avoided her once more in homeroom. He avoided her again in the other classes. He ate lunch in a place she couldn't find him; agh, it was just too much!

Oyuun was beginning to really panic. She'd thought that he would open up to her a little more by now, perhaps say 'hi' or 'hello', 'how're you doing?'. But he didn't. He just...looked at her, and left. No matter how many times she spoke to him, he would only nod and keep quiet. It was enough to drive her mad. Only her desire to solve things in a reasonable way kept her from going insane.

"I'm really sorry, Oyuun," Iris apologized as they were talking to each other in the courtyard after lunch. "I don't know why he's doing this...I talked with him yesterday like I promised, but he still won't give it up."

Oyuun twisted a lock of her hair nervously. "Do you think it's because he's angry at me? He hates me now?"

The other girl widened her eyes in shock. "What? No! Oyuun, how could he be angry at you? It wasn't your fault!"

The young shaman shook her head. "But if he's not angry, then why is he doing this to me? Why won't he say something? Why is he keeping to himself?" She looked desperately over to Iris. "Did the talk go ok for you?"

Iris nodded. "Yeah, I mean, he was ready to tell me how he felt, and he listened to me when I spoke."

"Then why is it that, with me, it's..." Oyuun left the sentence unfinished, suddenly overcome by a pang of jealously towards Iris. Ken had been _her_ best friend for the past year plus the two weeks that they'd been attending Sweet Amoris together; why was he suddenly more trusting of Iris, someone they barely knew over a month?

She immediately felt guilty for feeling that jealousy, however, and let it drift away in the afternoon wind. She turned her head in another direction as if she were afraid Iris could somehow see through her thoughts. It was unreasonable to feel so petty towards Iris, a nice classmate who was just trying to help; if she had to be jealous of Iris, then she would have to be jealous of Jade, Violette, Melody, even Castiel, for having better luck at talking with Ken.

"I'm not sure why, Oyuun," Iris admitted. "Ken is his own person. No matter how many times I, or even Jade, will talk to him, he might not change simply because he has his own ideas of how to approach the subject. But I believe he doesn't hate you or blame you for anything. In fact, it looks more like he's blaming himself."

"For what, though?" Oyuun asked.

Iris shrugged. "Maybe for not coming to your rescue in time."

Oyuun had thought about it as a possibility, but immediately dismissed it because she thought it was absurd. Even if he did blame himself for that, why would he keep avoiding her up to this day? Why would he not discuss his feelings with her, as he had always done in the past?

"Boys have their own weird sort of pride," Iris joked, a reassuring smile aimed Oyuun's way. "Don't sweat it. I'm closer to the boys of the school than most of the girls are, and even I don't understand it. It just takes time for everything to sort itself out. Maybe all it needs is time, you know? But it wouldn't hurt to try to talk to him again. In a more secluded setting, if you get me."

Oyuun shrugged. "I guess I could give it another shot...and you're right, maybe school isn't the best place to talk it out. I'll see if I can get him to go somewhere else with me, or if I can catch him alone..." She glanced over at the ginger haired girl. "Maybe you could tell him for me? That I need to speak with him privately?"

Iris nodded. "I'll try."

Oyuun smiled. "Thanks, Iris. I owe you one." She knew then that this talk with Ken would have to be different. It wouldn't just be reassurances and explanations anymore...no, they would have to get to the bottom of Ken's feelings, and of how to deal with that factor in their friendship. For the way things stood, Oyuun couldn't see how they could continue to be friends with each other when one of them continued to hold onto his unrequited crush for her.

* * *

And how did Oyuun know for sure that Ken's feelings would go unrequited? She'd thought it over in her head, and came up with no real reason other than she couldn't see him as anything more than a friend. It wasn't because of how he looked. Appearances mattered very little to Oyuun, and she was certainly a veteran in that aspect. Being constantly teased for her own appearance had taught her a lot. It wasn't because he was considered weak, either. Oyuun found his meek personality rather charming. And no, it wasn't because he creeped her out from his initial confession on her first day of school. Ok, maybe that might have been a factor...

But one of the more convincing reasons she could find was that she'd been too used to seeing Ken as her friend. And _only_ her friend. While she had not put much thought into what her ideal boyfriend would be like, she focused a lot on what she wanted in a friend, and simply finding it in Ken had been wondrous enough. The change he had gone through, though - from being her friend to her admirer - made her uneasy. She was afraid of that change. She didn't want it; she just wanted things to stay the way they were.

It made her feel bad, at first. It made her feel horrible that she could not alleviate Ken's pain in the way he wanted. But then she remembered what Castiel told her, and she reminded herself that it was not her fault. She couldn't help Ken's crushing on her, and she couldn't help the fact that she did not return his feelings. It sounded grim, but it was the truth. Oyuun had to take this into consideration for what she would prepare to say to Ken, although in a much more delicate way.

"He's all yours," Iris murmured to her cryptically as she passed her by in the hallway, indicating to Oyuun that she'd talked to Ken, and that it was Oyuun's turn. Lunch was over early due to a technical difficulty in the cafeteria or something like that, and the students were half-heartedly making their way to their lockers for the next class. There was still time to spare, which was why neither of them bothered to rush.

"Where?" Oyuun asked her.

"At his locker."

Oyuun nodded. "Thanks."

She made her way to the part of the halls that held Kentin's locker. She'd been there before, plenty of times in between classes or during breaks to just chat with him; when she wasn't too busy with the _shulam,_ of course. It was a bit of a letdown that this time would not be as happy as the others...

"Hey Ken," Oyuun said as she sat next to him. He was sitting on the ground with his back to his locker, eating from a packet of his favorite cookie brand. "Can I have one?" she asked lightly, remembering how he constantly offered her the cookies when they were still chummy with each other.

Ken wordlessly reached into the packet and gave her one. The gesture brightened her considerably.

"So," she said as she munched on the cookie, "if you're not too busy after school...maybe we could go somewhere to talk. Just the two of us." She bit off a larger part of the cookie, chewed, swallowed, and continued, "Maybe we can go try out that cafe? My parents just gave me my allowance yesterday. I'll treat you this time. But if you want to go somewhere else, that's fine too," she quickly added. "It was just a suggestion."

Kentin munched slowly on his cookie before eating it up and reaching for another one. "Could we go to the park?" he asked at last.

Yes! She finally made him speak! Oyuun wanted to jump with joy. "The park? Sounds great!" She smiled. "I'll meet you there after school. If you want to skip your club for today, I could do that, too." Despite the fact that it seemed like she was the only one happy about it, she felt as though she had improved her footing in the problem.

Ken shook his head. "I need to help out with a gardening project. But I'll see you after I finish with the club." _  
_

"Ok then. I'll walk there with you?"

Kentin nodded, the expression on his face still unreadable.

The young shaman was about to give him one of the brief hugs she usually gave, but thought better of it considering the situation. Instead she smiled brightly and gave him a small wave before leaving.

* * *

And before she knew it, it was time. She devoted her wholehearted attention to the remaining classes, feeling that since Ken was willing to talk, everything was going to turn out all right. And yet she decided to skip basketball club for the day, going straight into town for a refreshing drink to clear her thoughts instead. She also didn't want another run-in with Castiel that could easily be misconstrued by Ken. It was a silly thought - it wasn't as if such things happened all the time - but Oyuun preferred to be safe than sorry.

When the appointed time rolled by, she reentered the school. There was no need to go by the gardening club because Ken was right at his locker. Oyuun smiled and walked up to him.

"Ready?" she asked him.

He nodded, and even smiled back.

"Ok, cool!" She turned around and led the way. She nearly reached for his wrist, but again, had to train herself not to fall back under familiar habits. "So, how was gardening?"

"It was ok."

"What sort of project are you guys working on?"

"Oh, a little bit of landscaping here and there. Just trying to make the school grounds look better."

"And the _oboo_?"

"It's growing."

They stepped outside the doors and were greeted by a friendly breeze. Descending the steps, they commenced on their journey. The park was not far; just a walk past the town's shops, a little turn here and there, and the van Hardenbroek memorial park, named after the founder of the town of Amoris, came into view after no more than ten minutes. It was a spacious, well-kept park with sprawling grounds, meandering trails, and a small playground near the entrance.

Oyuun paused, looking from the playground to the park trail. "Where do you think we should talk?"

Ken shrugged. "Wherever you want."

The shaman girl considered strolling on the trail, but upon seeing some dogs being walked by, she decided against it. _I don't have my spirit helpers with me right now,_ she reasoned, and she didn't want a barking dog interrupting them. So the playground it was, or rather, the picnic tables nearby, since it seemed as though children were the main occupants of the playground at the moment.

They chose an empty table and settled themselves on the benches across from each other. Oyuun took some time to shrug off her satchel and place it neatly on the table, suddenly a little unsure of how to start the conversation. Should she use small talk? Or should she get straight to the point? Using small talk might prolong the situation without results, but then getting to the point might land them too soon in tricky waters. She bit down on her lower lip, suddenly over-analyzing herself.

"It's nice outside, isn't it, Oyuun?" Kentin suddenly asked.

Oyuun perked up. "Yeah, really nice," she agreed. She felt encouraged, because it was the first time in a while that Kentin took the initiative. "Really sunny, and bright, and nice..." _Let's not get distracted here,_ she reminded herself, and cleared her throat. "Er, so, anyway, Ken-"

A perky ringtone cut her off. "Oh, it's my mom," Kentin said, peering at the screen. "Do you mind if I talk to her for a second?"

Oyuun blinked, feeling disappointed yet relieved at the same time. "Oh, no, go ahead!"

He slid off the bench and walked out towards the playground to answer the call. She watched him go with a sigh and a slump. Frustrated fingers ran through her hair. _This is tougher than I thought._ But of course it was; these were human feelings on the line. At least with the _shulam_ Oyuun knew what she was supposed to do - that is, exorcise it - and how to achieve that goal. Dealing with the complex workings of people's feelings was rarely ever so straightforward, and Oyuun supposed she'd appreciate it if someone put the same consideration into her feelings as well; but being on the mediating side of the matter, she wished it was simpler.

Finally Ken returned, and when he did, he was still only picking at small talk. Oyuun obliged him and felt that it was easier on her conscience this way, but she still couldn't shake off the feeling that something had to be done. So when he finished his last sentence, Oyuun sucked in a breath and began: "Listen, Ken..."

"Yes?" he asked attentively.

She sighed. "Ok, so...I invited you out to talk about...well, about what happened after school on Wednesday."

The bespectacled boy paused for a few seconds before nodding. "Go on," he said solemnly.

Oyuun folded her hands together on the table and bent her head. "I know what it looked like. I know that it hurt you. And it's been eating at me since then. I'm not sure whether you believed me or not when I explained it to you-"

"No, I believe you," Ken interrupted.

"-well, that's a relief." She smiled, then stopped. "But...I've been noticing that...well, you've been avoiding me. And when you're not avoiding me, you're very distant and...and not like yourself." She looked up pleadingly into his eyes. "Is there something more to this that I don't know, Ken? Maybe you believe me, but you're angry at me? Is that why you've been acting that way?"

He quickly shook his head. "No, Oyuun! Of course not!"

"Then...if you don't mind telling me...what is it?"

She was almost afraid that he would clam up and leave the secret of his feelings forever a mystery. Luckily, he did not. "I'm really sorry if I hurt your feelings, Oyuun," he apologized. "I honestly didn't mean to make you worry. But, you see, it's like this..." He readjusted his glasses, then said, "I feel disappointed in myself. I've always been this nerdy, scrawny boy who everybody picks on. Yet I always tried to look on the positive side of everything and be nice to everyone, and I've always done my best to avoid confrontation." He pursed his lips before suddenly bursting out, "But it's not enough! People don't take me seriously!"

Taking in a stabilizing breath, Ken continued, "No one's scared of a person who's so...so weak and incompetent. If I tried standing up to Amber, it'd probably end with her beating me up. And then you...well, I'm not saying you're shallow, but...but girls want a guy who can stand up for himself...and so, no matter how nice or peaceful I am, you'd probably never..."

"No, Ken," Oyuun interrupted. "That's not-"

"Please, just listen." Kentin swallowed. "I'm not surprised if you never thought of me in a romantic way, because I'm not the sort of person you'd want. And I hate that."

Oyuun found herself at a loss for words. She already knew he felt bad for not being able to protect her, but it hurt worse to hear him elaborate on it. She wished they could just put this aside and continue on as if nothing happened. But, remembering Castiel's words, she knew that beating around the bush would not help; at least, not anymore. Drawing mental strength from the redhead's advice, she formed her response:

"I'm happy that you're opening up to me, but it hurts to hear you say you're disappointed in yourself. I mean, it's good that you want to become more confident...but it's important that you change for yourself, and yourself only. I'm not talking about a knight in shining armor, or some...some punk," she stuttered, for lack of a better word, "I'm talking about someone who isn't afraid because of doubts or insecurities - someone I'd be glad to see you become because it benefits you, _not_ because of what other people want, or what you think they want."

She sighed. "I...I admit that I don't think of you the way you want me to. It's not for the reason you said, though. Rather, I only see you as a friend. In that way, you are everything I could ever want." She lowered her eyes again. "I know it's not what you want to hear. That hurts me, too. At first, I thought we could just push past it...ignore it and go back to being friends...but now I realize that that was selfish thinking on my part." She blinked, feeling the repressed emotions of the past few days welling up within her. "I'm really sorry, Ken. I'm sorry for thinking that, and for treating you so harshly when I first found out about how you felt. I should have been more sensitive."

Kentin smiled sadly. "It's ok, Oyuun," he said in a quiet voice. "I understand."

Silence came between them as they both looked down upon the wooden surface of the picnic table. The sounds of happy children playing nearby seemed so unfitting, so out of place with their unhappy faces; and yet, they were not listening. The only things that echoed in their ears were the somber words exchanged between them.

Time seemed to go on forever in this manner until Ken unexpectedly reached out a hand for Oyuun, touching her fingers lightly. The shaman girl looked up and was greeted by a warm, gentle smile. "Thank you for telling me, Oyuun. I feel a lot better now that I've heard you out."

"R-really?" she stammered.

"Yes, really," he nodded.

"I..." She didn't know how to feel about that; she did not expect her words to have a positive effect so soon. "I should thank you too," she said at last. "For listening to me, and for giving me a chance to listen." She smiled back at him, and upon doing so, felt her feelings begin to warm up with relief. "From now on, if there's ever anything bothering the two of us, we'll promise to talk about it openly. No more secrecy. No more avoiding anybody. Pinkie swear?" She held up her right hand, folding the other fingers so that only the pinkie was standing upright.

Kentin did the same and hooked his pinkie over hers. "Pinkie swear."

That being said and done, they slid off the benches and started to head out of the park. "Do you want to go to that cafe now?" Oyuun asked.

"Sure; but I'll be treating _you_."

"No, I will!"

"Not if I can help it!"

"You're on!"

And so they ran, laughing and jostling each other like the best friends they were.

* * *

Oyuun felt liberated that weekend now that the meeting in the park put her and Ken back on friendly terms. Though they did not meet up, they exchanged happy texts with one another and even talked once or twice over the phone. The Abjiya was pleased to hear that her young student was feeling happy again and took advantage of this boost in mood to teach her a Dream World lesson Sunday night.

But the next day at school, Oyuun was puzzled to find Ken not in his seat when the bell signaled the start of homeroom. _He's going to be late,_ she thought. _He's never been late before._ Did he miss the bus? _Perhaps that's what it is,_ she reasoned. _I'm sure he'll be here soon._

And then homeroom ended with still no sign of Ken. The usual homeroom teacher was not available, replaced by a substitute instead, who said nothing of the matter throughout the class and was gone before Oyuun could ask him anything. As the students filed out of the room, Oyuun was still contemplating the reason behind this mystery when Amber roughly pushed past her, almost causing her to fall.

 _Oh yeah, the witch is back_ , the shaman girl remembered sourly.

"Watch where you're going, idiot," the blonde teased. "Maybe get some glasses to match with your boyfriend. You'll need them!"

Oyuun straightened up and tried not to look at Amber. She was tempted to spit back with some sort of retort, but thought better of it and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Speaking of her boyfriend," Li piped up, "I wonder where he is?"

"Oh, that's right," Amber gasped. "I totally forgot! He's not here because he's-"

Oyuun whirled around at the mention of Ken's possible whereabouts. Amber knew she would and gave her a smug smile. "-never mind. She'll find out soon enough."

Frowning, Oyuun quickly headed to her locker and took out her phone to text him. She was sure Amber was just messing with her. Their last text was Sunday evening, pretty recent; surely nothing could have changed so drastically since then?

 _Hey,_ she typed, _where r u? Everything ok?_

"Hey Oyuun!" Iris dropped by, greeting her. "How'd it go?"

"How did what go?" she asked passively, eyes still locked onto the screen.

"Well, the talk with Ken."

"Oh, yeah, that." She looked up from her phone and smiled at Iris. "It went well, actually." _But why isn't he here?_ "Say, Iris...you don't happen to know why Ken's not here...do you?"

The redhead frowned. "No, but I don't think it's anything important. Everyone has an off day once in a while." She shrugged, and her keen eyes soon noticed that Oyuun was in the middle of texting him. "That's a good idea, too. But even if he doesn't respond, it's probably because he's sick or something."

The shaman girl nodded. "Yeah...you're right..." She put away her phone. "Thanks. I guess I'm just worrying too much."

Iris smiled and clapped her on the back. "No problem. On the bright side, I can be your best friend for the day. Ken's always hogging you to himself!" She tugged on Oyuun's arm and led her down the hall.

* * *

Time soon found Oyuun staring at her phone again, though. In the space before fourth period, she couldn't help but check her texts to see if anything happened. Ken's absence still unnerved her, and while it wasn't as if she distrusted Iris, she wanted to be sure herself that everything was all right. So far, there was no reply. Foregoing that, she placed a direct call to his phone. If she had to, she would leave a voicemail message, but she wanted to cover every possible channel before she could feel certain.

An automated message greeted her, but not the one she expected.

"We're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please check the number and dial again."

Oyuun almost dropped the device. _What? No, it can't be..._ She had placed the call from her contacts list, and when she dialed, his name showed up; it would not have done so if she entered a wrong number, which she didn't do to begin with. _M-maybe it's a glitch._ She dialed from the contacts again and waited as before, hoping with all her heart that he would pick up.

"We're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please check the number and dial again."

 _No. No, no, no, no, no!_ Oyuun then knew something was wrong. If Ken ever meant to change his phone number, he would have let her know beforehand. But this cryptic message, combined with his sudden absence...

"What's wrong Oyuun? You look pale."

Oyuun turned around and met with Iris' concerned face. Her mouth opened and closed several times, straining to find words to say. Frustrated with that attempt, she tossed her phone back into her locker and slammed it shut before rushing off in a certain direction.

"Where are you going?" Iris asked, bewildered.

"I need...I need to ask someone something," was her hoarse reply.

And that was how she found herself at the school's front office, where the administration worked as well as where Principal Shermansky's office was located. It seemed that the receptionist was out, though, so Oyuun sat down to wait in one of the chairs. She did not wait long until Nathaniel emerged from the principal's office with important papers and noticed her.

"Oyuun," he asked, a little shocked, "why are you here?"

She immediately shot up from her seat; the student body president was as good as an administration official for the question she wanted to ask. "N-Nathaniel," she said somewhat shakily, "thank goodness! Do you know if something's happened to Ken? I haven't seen him all day today and when I called him his number was disconnected, and-"

"Whoa, slow down," Nathaniel entreated her. "You're asking about Kentin Howard, correct?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Ok. Well, you'll be pleased to know that he's perfectly fine. No untimely accidents or anything." Seeing the relief in her eyes, Nathaniel continued, "Thing is, from the beginning of the school year, his father, Mr. Howard, had a talk with the administration. He wanted to cancel Kentin's attendance at Sweet Amoris and transfer him to military school on the spot. However, school policy could not allow for the transfer in so short a time, and the military school was still processing the new application, so Kentin was allowed to attend for the past few weeks. Last Friday, though, was his last day at Sweet Amoris."

Oyuun could hardly believe what she was hearing. "You're joking," she breathed. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"I'm sorry, Oyuun," Nathaniel apologized. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid that's what happened. I'm surprised your homeroom teacher didn't tell you."

The shaman girl blinked back tears. "We had a sub. He didn't say anything."

"Kentin didn't tell you himself?"

She shook her head. "No..."

The student body president sighed and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Again, I'm really sorry. But if it comforts you, when his father called this morning to thank the Principal, he said that Kentin agreed wholeheartedly to go to military school. He didn't want to before, but had a change of heart Friday. You should be happy he's doing something he wants, Oyuun."

Nathaniel could not have wounded her further even if he tried. She nodded dumbly and walked out of the office, her thoughts racing and her eyes misting. _Kentin, you idiot._ She bit down on her lower lip to prevent the first tear from falling. _You stupid idiot. You were not feeling better at all._

She entered the girl's bathroom and tried to keep up the discipline to enter a stall, but found herself sinking down against the wall by a potted plant.

_You broke our pinkie swear._


	12. The Slumber Party

_\- One Month Later -_

_"_ I wonder what I should get for Melody?"

"Well, what do you think she likes?"

"I don't know, I never really asked her."

"Then why are you asking me?" Jade asked teasingly.

Oyuun elbowed him playfully. "I was talking to myself, not to you."

"If you said it aloud, it's fair game."

Oyuun rolled her eyes and continued scanning the line of shops. It was a crisp autumn day, perfect for walking. The leaves already started changing their colors a week or so ago and the effect was bewitching - crowns of fire framing the shopfronts, glowing in the light of the afternoon sun, painting the town in vivid colors. The smell of cinnamon from a nearby bakery completed both the visual and olfactory scene.

"Do you think Melody likes listening to music?" The shaman girl asked again. Her eyes had caught sight of a poster on a music shop window advertising a brand-new album.

Jade laughed. "Why? Because her name's 'Melody'?"

She swatted his arm. "Come on, Jade! Be serious!"

"Fine, fine...yeah, I think she likes music. Who doesn't? But the important thing is, what _kind_ of music?"

"Well, do you know?"

"No."

Oyuun gave a mock sigh of exasperation. "You're hopeless! I'm going to call Iris. Maybe she has a clue." As she whipped out her cell phone, she directed her steps towards the music shop. Iris picked up right at the moment she started pulling on the door.

"Hey," Iris greeted. "What's up?"

"Hi, Iris," Oyuun greeted back. "So, Jade and I are out in town and I thought it'd be a good time to pick a gift for Melody. Do you happen to know what kind of music she likes to listen to?"

"Hmm, I remember a band she said she liked. Their first album just came out. What was the name again...?"

Oyuun remembered the poster on the music shop window. "Stars from Nightmare?"

"Yeah! That's the one!" Iris laughed at herself. "How could I forget?" When the laughter died down, she added, "Oyuun, did you know the lead singer used to be a student at our high school?"

Her eyes widened. Behind her, Jade just entered the shop. "Whoa!" was all she could say.

"I know right? She got scouted last year - it was almost unbelievable. If you're getting Melody that album, it'd be perfect. She really likes their songs!"

"Ok, sounds good! Talk to you later."

"Bye."

The call ended and Oyuun tucked her cell phone back into her satchel. She turned around and found Jade browsing the store's CD collection. "I think I know what I want to get," she told him.

"That fast?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Iris just told me." She pointed to the poster on the front window. "It's that one."

The green haired boy looked in her finger's direction. "Cool. Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a look around. I'll meet up with you later if you're done before I am."

"Ok."

She walked over to a shelf devoted primarily to new releases. Spying the Stars from Nightmare album, she picked up a copy and spotted the lead singer on the cover photo - Deborah Lark was her name - then found some choice pictures of her upon opening the cover flap.

 _O...kay,_ Oyuun thought, a little weirded out. _Those poses don't look like something a highschooler should be doing._ She checked the cover again to be sure Deborah was really the girl Iris was talking about - maybe there was another female singer in the band? - but the other band members were male. Oyuun hoped Deborah had already graduated, because she couldn't imagine the singer's parents approving of those shots. Then again, that was probably just Oyuun's opinion - the photos weren't openly risque, only hinting at seductiveness.

To be sure, she asked the clerk at the counter if Stars from Nightmare had songs that matched their lead singer's provocativeness; he replied that that was just a marketing ploy and that the songs should be ok for girls her age to listen to. After letting her hear a sample from another disc, she supposed that she had to agree, and even recognized the talent in Deborah's voice. _No wonder she got scouted,_ the shaman girl thought. _She's pretty_ and _she's got a good voice!_

"I'll take it, then," she told the clerk. "Do you have anything to wrap it up with? It's a present for a friend."

The clerk shrugged. "It'll cost you extra."

"Well, ok, I don't mind."

Oyuun's allowance suffered a bit from the transaction, but the shaman girl was overjoyed to have found a satisfactory gift for Melody. She exited the shop feeling light and happy. _I can't wait for the birthday party this weekend!_ Though Melody had already told her the month before that she was invited, card invitations recently sent by mail made Oyuun ecstatic to see it confirmed in writing. Even better was the fact that her parents allowed her to attend.

Jade caught up with her several minutes later at the town square. "I guess you're ready to leave now, since you found her a present?"

She shrugged. "I still have some time left, so I guess I'll go do something else."

"Aw, lucky. I've got homework that I've got to get back to."

"Hey, that's what happens when you don't take advantage of study hall."

It was his turn to shrug. "Oh well, see you tomorrow at school."

"See you," she returned with a smile.

He gave her a firm pat on the arm and another smile before walking off. She touched that part of her arm lightly, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks.

* * *

Oyuun arrived at Melody's house with a duffle bag containing clothes and toiletries, a sleeping bag, and some snacks as requested by the invitation. It was a red brick two-story house in a neighborhood not too far from her own, designed in a charming colonial style.

Despite her previous anticipation of the event, Oyuun felt butterflies in her stomach when she waved goodbye to her parents as they drove off. _It's ok, no need to be nervous; you can do this,_ she reminded herself. She was determined to get past her old fears and enjoy the slumber party for what it was: a fun night to be spent with friends. Melody didn't invite any bad people, after all. For some moral support, in case she needed it, Oyuun packed along the Abjiya's necklace in her duffle bag.

Sucking in a deep breath, the she walked up to the front door and pressed the doorbell. She could hear the muted _ding-dong_ as it resonated throughout the house. She waited with bated breath as she heard a voice and some footsteps from inside. Her heart pounded faster when she heard the latch turn, and then door finally swung open.

"Oyuun, you're here!" Melody exclaimed cheerfully. When she saw the look on Oyuun's face, she giggled. "Sorry, did I surprise you? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"N-no, I'm fine," Oyuun smiled. "I hope I'm not late."

"On the contrary, you're just in time. Come on in!" The brown haired girl stepped aside and gestured for Oyuun to enter. The shaman girl tentatively did so, taking in the interior of the house with her curious eyes. "Violette and Iris have already made it," Melody said as she closed the door behind her guest. "They're in the living room, if you want to meet with them. Here, let me take your bag up for you-"

"Oh, no, it's fine," Oyuun interjected when she saw Melody reaching for the duffle bag. "I can put it up myself. If that's ok with you?"

"No problem, I'd be happy to show you to my room! Come, come."

She raced up the stairs and Oyuun followed suit (albeit at a more moderate pace). Once on the landing, they went down the hall, entered the third room on the right, and Oyuun found herself in a spacious bedroom with the plushest bed she had ever seen. _That's a lot of pillows,_ she mentally remarked. Melody padded over to a corner where two other bags were laid and pointed for Oyuun to deposit her duffle there. When that was done, she offered Oyuun a tour of the house.

"This is the bathroom," she said, and flicked the lights on. "If you have to use it at night, be sure to walk quietly - my mom hates it when people stomp around while she's sleeping." Turning the lights off, she led Oyuun down hall to show her where her parents' bedroom was. "Just be especially quiet if you go by," she reminded her, then showed her the guest room. "There's two beds in there, which we're going to have a rock-paper-scissors contest for later." There was a fourth room, but Melody told her it was reserved as her father's study. Taking her back down the stairs, she showed Oyuun the kitchen, the dining room, the pantry, the downstairs bathroom, the den, and then finally, the living room.

"There's a finished basement downstairs, too," Melody said, "although there's not much to do there."

 _Wow,_ Oyuun thought, _this house is really spacious!_ More spacious than her own, definitely. _I mean, a fully finished basement? That's like two or three more rooms already!_

When they reached the living room, Iris and Violette perked up and greeted Oyuun happily. All four girls sank onto the couches and began to engage in lively conversation. After a while, the doorbell rang again and Melody ran out to see who it was. When she came back with Capucine, Oyuun wasn't sure if she should feel happy or wary. She did not entirely dislike the girl, but she also remembered that Capucine occasionally talked with Amber, and it was one of those 'talks' that led to Li spraying graffiti on the lockers and getting the both of them into trouble. If Melody invited her, perhaps she was not all that bad, but Oyuun decided that it'd be best to watch her words, lest she let slip something she didn't want Amber to know.

"Hello everyone," Capucine greeted them with a smile. "How are you all?"

"Doing great," Iris replied.

"Hi Capucine." Violette smiled back shyly.

Oyuun smiled as well and asked, "I'm fine, how about you?"

Was it amusement glittering in those bright green eyes, or was it just Oyuun's imagination? "Doing well, thank you," Capucine returned. "I'm glad you're here, Oyuun. I didn't think you were coming."

 _What does that mean?_ Oyuun's head spun with all the possible motives and hidden meanings behind Capucine's words.

"Being that you just came to the school, and all," Capucine added.

She wondered yet again what Capucine really meant and crafted her response carefully. "Melody's been really nice to me, so I couldn't turn down the invitation. Besides, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to get to know you all better." She saw Iris smiling at her from the corner of her eye and turned her head to return the gesture. Feeling encouraged, the shaman girl willed herself to calm down; this was a birthday party, and it was going to be a fun time. As long as she didn't blab anything important, Capucine wouldn't do anything.

Capucine giggled and settled herself delicately down on the couch. "Well, this is going to be a fun party. Are we waiting for anyone else?"

"Just Kim," said Melody. "The other girls couldn't come, but that's ok - Mom likes it better as a small party."

Oyuun nodded, remembering that their class had way more girls than just five, excluding herself. She supposed that was fine if Melody's family was all right with it. Also, a smaller party felt better on her nerves; less spread out and distant, more tight-knit and cozy.

Melody glanced up at the living room clock. "Oh, it's almost time for dinner. Let me take up your bag for you, Capucine. Mom will want everyone washed and ready when dinner comes."

Capucine handed her dainty pink bag to the class delegate and got up to wash her hands in the downstairs bathroom. The other girls took their turns in doing so, and soon enough Melody's mother called them into the dining room. They each pulled into their own individual chairs and sat while Melody helped her mother, a thin woman with short brown hair, pass out the plates and bowls. Oyuun felt uncomfortable allowing people other than family to cater to her, but decided to sit still after Melody kindly gestured for her to sit back down. _There's a first time for everything,_ she reminded herself to assuage the guilt. Then she remembered the times when her father brought home coworkers for dinner, and she and her family played the hosts, insisting on doing everything for their guests.

Dinner was roast chicken and endives, served with French onion soup, seasoned brown rice, and a side of lemony snap peas. Melody's father came downstairs to join them, giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek as he sat down. But before they could eat, Kim arrived. She declined the dinner because she had already eaten, but sat at the table anyway to talk with Iris. After a while, she pulled out a movie from her bag and asked Melody's mother if it was ok for them to watch.

"Hmm," the older woman pondered, reading the summary on the back of the case. "It should be fine, if you girls don't mind getting a bit scared. What do you think, Henry?" She handed it to her husband.

Henry, a portly man with a jolly disposition and bristling gray mustache, nodded to his wife. "I agree, Josefa. I also think it's perfect for the theme Melody wants for her party."

Josefa handed the DVD back to Kim. "All right, you can watch this movie, but be sure that you finish watching by nine. I want you girls to be in bed at ten, and no later."

"Thanks, Mrs. West," Kim said as she put the DVD away. "We will."

Dinner ended at seven and the girls went upstairs to start changing into their night clothes. The other girls had already bathed before arriving, but Capucine and Violette took turns showering in the guest bathroom while Melody showered in the master bathroom, so that everyone was ready to watch the movie by 7:45. They got comfy on the living room couches and rug while Melody popped the movie into the player and navigated the menu with the remote.

She added subtitles just in case, and then pressed play.

* * *

"Oh my god, that was so scary!" Melody squealed at the end of the movie.

"When he knocked on the wall, and there was a knock back, and then they found nothing but dead bodies behind it..." Violette trailed off mysteriously.

Kim threw her pillow at the purple haired girl. "Stop it, you're creeping me out."

"I know right?" Iris laughed nervously. "I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight!"

"It was frightening, wasn't it, Oyuun?" Capucine asked, sounding more amused than scared.

Oyuun turned to Capucine and stammered a reply. "Oh, it's, well, um...yeah, it was scary."

Melody crawled over to the DVD player and took out the movie to replace it into its case. "Here, Kim," she said as she handed it back. "Thanks for giving us the movie. Come on, let's go upstairs and do a rock-paper-scissors game for the guest bedroom."

The five girls gathered themselves out of the living room and walked up the stairs to Melody's room. The hall was quiet, Mr. and Mrs. West having retired to their room during the movie, so they were careful to not make any noise. Once in the room, Melody flicked on the lights, closed the doors, and called for the girls to sit in a circle around each other.

"Ok, so, the first winner gets to share the bed with me, since my bed is big enough," Melody explained, "and the remaining two winners will get to sleep in two beds of their own in the guest room. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Ok, go!"

It was a little difficult to figure out the logistics of a rock-paper-scissors match between five people, but they eventually settled it out tournament style. Since there was an odd number of players, Melody joined to even it out. The three winners of the first round were Capucine, Iris, and Kim. Then Capucine won the three-way game, so she was awarded with the other half of Melody's bed, while Iris and Kim got the beds in the guest bedroom.

"I have plenty of blankets in case you need them," Melody offered to Oyuun and Violette.

"I'm fine," Oyuun said. "I brought a sleeping bag."

"Me too," Violette nodded.

Melody clapped her hands together. "Perfect! Let's do something fun now. We don't have to sleep yet, and who says we _have_ to be asleep by ten?"

" _Ooooh_ , Mel, are you gonna break the rules?" Kim asked with a raised eyebrow. "You, the class delegate?"

"I'm not the class delegate here," she reminded the other girl. "And besides, this is a party. As long as we're quiet, Mom won't ever know. If anyone wants to sleep before we're done, they may do so," she added. "Don't hesitate, ok?"

Kim shrugged. "Whatever. Oh, hey, let's give you our presents now; how 'bout that?"

"Right, I almost forgot," added Iris.

And so one by one, they gave their gifts to the birthday girl. Violette handed her a small framed painting of blue flowers. It was made with skill and exquisite worksmanship, causing Melody to gasp in awe when the purple haired girl shyly said, "I painted it for you."

"Oh my gosh, thank you," she said. "How'd you know these were my favorite flowers?"

Violette blushed. "I noticed you were looking at them in the gardening club some time ago."

Next, Capucine gave her a cute hair accessory and handbag to match her eyes. Melody tried the accessory on and declared that it was perfect. Kim got her a T-shirt with the graphics of the Stars from Nightmare band, and Iris bought her a pretty set of butterfly themed wind chimes to hang in front of her house, in the back, wherever she wanted it to be. Oyuun, having reserved herself for last due to stage fright, gulped down her anxiety and gave Melody the Stars from Nightmare album that she retrieved from the confines of her duffle bag.

"Thank you, everybody," Melody gushed, "for all these wonderful presents! I'm going to put them away and then we can begin our ghost story segment."

She got up to place the newly acquired items in one of her drawers. While she was busy figuring out where she should place each item (as it turned out, she was a bit of an organization freak), Iris turned to Oyuun and asked her, "So, how's Ken? Have you heard from him?"

Oyuun jolted and looked back at the redhead. "Ken?" Her eyes wandered to the floor. "Oh...um...no. Sorry."

Iris softened. "Oh no, don't apologize. I didn't realize...I thought that maybe, since he called me some time ago..."

 _He called her, but not me?_ That made her feel a little sad. "It's ok, really," Oyuun insisted in a cheerier tone to alleviate Iris' worry. "No big deal." To prove it, she gave her a smile.

The topic of Kentin still hurt her to this day, even if it wasn't as raw as the first time she learned of his transfer. For days, she was almost inconsolable. She couldn't focus on anything, only doing the bare minimum in classes, and missed many sessions of the basketball club. It was only thanks to Iris' willingness to share notes and sometimes tutor her that she was able to maintain her grades. The toughest part was when it came to be their group's turn to do their project presentation in History; Oyuun did her portion as well as covered Ken's, which was mostly finished when he left anyway, but Castiel half-arsed his part so that their group only got an average grade.

Speaking of Castiel, Oyuun barely paid any attention to him after Ken left. He didn't seem to care, and with no more 'haunted' incidents between them, left her alone. The matter of the _shulam_ also seemed finished when she checked on the ward and discovered that the demon had gone on its own. Perhaps it had gotten the message that it was unwanted, so it left to haunt elsewhere. It was hardly the exorcism Oyuun first thought necessary, but she didn't care anymore. She dismantled the ward around the gym and left the matter at that.

Not all was gloom and doom, though; Oyuun was able to grow closer to Iris and Jade during the time they took to comfort her. It was they who drew her out of her depressed shell, and it was with them that she forged new friendships. Slowly but surely, she adjusted to Sweet Amoris High. Her hair and eyes became less of an insecurity to her especially since some of students at the school chose to dye their hair in many different colors. Amber's bullying became nothing more than minor disturbances, because Iris and Jade always had her back. Things were looking up for her, even if she still had pain tucked away in her heart.

"Kentin?" Capucine piped up, and Oyuun issued a mental groan. "Isn't he the boy who had a crush on you, Oyuun?"

"He was my best friend," the shaman girl replied evenly.

"Still," Capucine continued, "I find it rather cute. You should be flattered, Oyuun."

 _What is she getting at?_ Oyuun wondered uncomfortably. The phrase sounded not unlike what Amber used to say about her and Ken. "It feels hard to do with someone who was just a friend to me," she said at last.

Capucine giggled, a hand placed coquettishly over her mouth. "You don't have to be so modest. On the other hand, are there any boys that you like right now?"

Now she was getting plain ridiculous! Oyuun blushed furiously, her tongue twisted, her throat caught. "N-no," she weakly sputtered. "Why would you ask that?"

"It was just a harmless question," Capucine protested teasingly. "What about you, Melody?" she asked when the birthday girl sat back down amongst them. "Is there any boy that you like?"

Melody took the question better than Oyuun did. She blushed, but only lightly, and sing-songed a drawn out, "Well..."

"You can tell us," Violette encouraged her gently.

Iris, who noticed the tension between Capucine and Oyuun at first, decided that it was all benign and also coaxed the class delegate to reveal her crush. "We won't let anyone know," she promised.

Melody pursed her lips, twiddled her fingers, and then said with a little smile on her face, "Nathaniel."

Kim drew back in surprise, then rocked back to her former position, her eyes wide with incredulity. "No way, girl - _the_ student body president? That Nathaniel?"

Melody nodded happily. "Mm-hmm."

"Nath's a good choice," Iris commented. "He's a nice person and is very dedicated to what he does."

"He's also really cute," Melody quipped with an even brighter smile.

 _Let's just hope Capucine doesn't tell Amber,_ Oyuun thought worriedly, but Capucine seemed close with Melody, so that might not be very likely.

"So if we're done talking about boys," Kim interjected before the question might rotate to the others, "are we ready to get to the ghost stories?"

"Yes, Kim is right," Melody agreed. "We mustn't delay!" She got up to pull out a flashlight from one of her nightstand drawers and then turn off the lights. Suddenly, everything in the room was pitch dark. A short moment later, light flicked on in one corner of the room, and the girls' eyes turned to see Melody's face illuminated below the chin by the flashlight. "It was a dark and stormy night..."

* * *

The best ghost story, in Oyuun's opinion, belonged to Capucine.

It was original and creative. Oyuun wasn't normally afraid of the supernatural, but Capucine managed to put chills down her spine. Old houses in the Victorian era were creepy in their own right, she supposed. The girl was talented at making every creak of the floorboards and every tick of the clock feel so real that her audience could almost hear them. "I read a lot of Edgar Allen Poe," she told the bewildered girls when asked where she got her inspiration from.

When it came to be her turn, Oyuun was surprised to discover that she had little to say. She'd seen many spirits in her life, she had even exorcised some using what she learned from the Abjiya, but she had no noteworthy stories to tell of them. They weren't as dramatic as the ghost stories the other girls had told. They were fairly regular, actually. _I guess that's just how it is,_ she thought. _The real thing is often more disappointing._

So she took bits and pieces from her various encounters and mixed them into one narrative. She had a feeling that she hadn't done it very artfully, though - the other girls only gave it a lackluster reception. She supposed that a story about a little boy who died in a well (whom she had met in the playground of her grade school), haunted a cereal factory (where she took a field trip to in the fourth grade), and painted words with acrylic paint onto people's work clothes at night (which was actually a fun-loving poltergeist in a nursing home) was not very scary.

As a reward for telling the best story, Capucine got the last bag of chips all to herself. The other girls shared from a slightly bigger bag that Kim had brought in, the other snacks having either been finished or designated for donation to Melody's pantry.

"So, what else are we going to do?" Iris asked while crunching on some Lays.

Melody giggled mischievously. "Oh, I saved the best for last..."

"It better not be braiding hair," Kim demanded, a chip-dusted finger pointed Melody's way.

"What's wrong with braiding hair?" Violette asked innocently.

Kim ticked off a finger for each number. "First, it's boring; second, it's for little girls; and third, I don't want no chip crumbs in my hair."

Melody crouched down into a crawling position and rummaged underneath her bed with her right arm. "It's _much_ more exciting than that," she assured the tomboy. "Just a minute...I'm sure I put it down here somewhere...Ooh, that's it - wait, no...Aha!" She drew back with a big wooden board in her arms. In one hand was a palm-sized triangular piece of wood, like a large guitar pick.

"A board game?" Capucine asked. "But it's dark. How can we see?"

Indeed, the lights were still off, and the only available light was from the flashlight.

"Come on, Capucine!" Melody chided her playfully. "I'm sure you know what this is." So saying, she came back into their circle, pushed aside the various pillows and cushions, and placed the board onto the carpeted floor. "It's a Ouija board!"

Oyuun's eyes widened. "No!" she blurted out, much to her later embarrassment when all the other girls stared at her strangely.

Melody looked at her confusedly. "What's wrong, Oyuun?"

The shaman girl cleared her throat. "I-I mean...are you sure you want to use it? A lot of people say bad things happen with those boards..."

Kim arched an eyebrow. "I thought you don't believe in ghosts."

She shrugged and chuckled nervously. "Well..."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with it," Capucine protested. "It sounds like fun. What do you think, Violette?"

The purple haired girl looked at Oyuun worriedly before looking back down at the Ouija board. "I guess...it's ok..."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, don't be such a baby. The most that's going to happen is that we're going to spell out a random piece of gibberish. 'Cause ghosts aren't real, remember? But it's fun to pretend once in a while."

Melody nodded. "It's just for fun. I'm going to keep a paper and a pencil with us, though, just to be sure if it's gibberish or not."

Iris shrugged. "Sounds good."

Oyuun felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Ouija boards were _bad_ business. Not always, she had to admit, but with people who had no experience with the dead, it could become dangerous. Using a Ouija board was basically opening a door to any spirit that happened to be nearby; it was more risky than a séance, because at least one could narrow down one's choice of spirit to call forth. Both methods required skill, but the Ouija board was especially notorious for being more unpredictable.

 _What do I do?_ she thought worriedly. _They won't listen to me; they don't think I believe in ghosts, and they really want to play with it. But if something happens..._

Melody came back with the paper and pencil and laid the planchette on the board. "Come on everybody, put your hands on." Noticing Oyuun's hesitance, Melody added, "You don't have to play if you don't feel comfortable."

Oyuun flinched. "No, it's..." She then looked to her duffle bag and remembered the talisman. "I'll be right there. Just, um, let me get this first." She crawled over to her bag and dug the animal bone talisman out from one of the outer pockets. She spared no time in putting it over her neck and came back to the circle of girls feeling better prepared. "Ok, I'm ready," she told them.

"Oh, it's that necklace of yours," Iris remarked. "Is it a good luck charm?"

"Sort of."

Kim chortled. "And you acted like such a skeptic when Li talked about the school ghost..."

"The movie kind of freaked me out," Oyuun lied.

"Oh, I don't blame you," Capucine agreed. "But for me, it makes it all the more exciting. Can we start yet?"

Melody made sure everyone had a hand on the planchette before nodding. "All right, let's begin."

Oyuun bit down on her lower lip and attempted to establish a connection to the Abjiya while Melody started with the customary invitation phrase to the spirits. _Abjiya. Abjiya, please, are you there?_

_Oyuun, what is wrong?_

Relief flooded her body. _Thank goodness! Abjiya, I need you to do something for me._

_What do you need?_

_Melody wants to play with a Ouija board._ She quickly gave the Protector Spirit a summarized description of the board and its dangers. At the same time, the girls were starting to move the planchette. She hadn't heard what question Melody asked, but she decided to try to guide everyone to the letter 'G' to stall for time. _Abjiya, I know this is something you don't do often...but can you communicate with them through the board? I don't want a bad spirit potentially coming through._

She felt an aura of alarm resonate from the talisman. _If that's the case, I'd better get to it,_ the Abjiya said.

In the meantime, the contradictory pull of the girls' fingers left them at a stalemate in between the '6' and 'T'. Kim frowned and voiced her dissent. "Ugh, I had a feeling this would happen."

"Maybe if everyone relaxed their fingers?" Iris suggested.

"Let me ask the question again," Melody insisted. "Is there anyone in this room right now? If so, please let us know."

Their fingers struggled a little more to the left, still locked in the empty space between the second row of letters and the first row of numbers; then, with a sudden force that came from neither of them, the planchette zipped over to the upper left of the board: _Yes._

The girls were silent. Even Kim was a little unnerved.

"Oh my god, is this for real?" Iris breathed.

"I'm...I'm a little frightened right now," Violette shivered.

Melody shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we have to see this through to the end. The group can't be broken up in the middle of the session; it's one of the rules."

Capucine giggled. "This is exciting! Quick, Melody, ask another question."

"Oh spirit," Melody began, "may we know your name?"

 _Oh dear,_ the Abjiya said, _what should I tell them? I can't lie._ While spirits weren't prohibited from lying, it was not generally good for someone as powerful as the Abjiya to lie to innocents, whereas deceiving evil entities was fine.

 _Uh, just say 'no' or spell out your name,_ Oyuun replied. _Whichever you like._

_Would you mind if they make a connection between your name and mine?_

Good point. _I guess not_ , Oyuun decided. _I'll just pretend to be shocked, say you're my dead grandmother or something._

_Hmm. Then how do I spell it with this alphabet?_

_Oh yeah..._

The other girls seemed to be growing impatient with the lack of activity before the planchette moved again.

_O._

_Y._

_U._

_G._

_U._

_N._

There was ample time between each letter so that Melody was able to write them down. When she finished, she frowned. "Oh-yoo-gun? What sort of name is that?"

"Let me see," Kim said, and read the letters. "Ugh, total gibberish, just like I said. We were all probably too excited or something."

"No, wait, that sounds familiar," Oyuun spoke up. She peered at the paper. "It's a Mongolian name," she pretended to gasp. "Oh-yoo-goon."

Melody's face lit up. "We're getting somewhere, then! Oyugun, are you a man or a woman?"

_W._

_O._

_M._

_A._

_N._

"What was your age when you died?"

_6._ _8._

"How did you die?"

"Why do you keep asking such morbid questions?" Kim interrupted.

"It's one of the suggested questions to ask in a Ouija session," Melody explained. "Now please, don't interrupt."

The planchette moved again:

_O._

_L._

_D._

_A._

_G._

_E._

"Oldage?" Iris asked confusedly. "What's oldage?"

Violette read the letters carefully. "Old _age_ ," the purple haired girl corrected. "So...this is a peaceful spirit...right?"

The planchette zoomed over to the word ' _Yes_ '.

"It's only because we _want_ it to be peaceful," Kim stated matter-of-factly. "There isn't any spirit in the room. Right, Oyuun?"

It was ironic that she should ask the very shaman who requested the Abjiya to communicate with them. "Maybe," Oyuun shrugged. "I mean...well, I still don't believe, but it seems more than coincidence that we all should have spelled out a Mongolian name."

Kim blinked. "Y-you're Mongolian, maybe that's why..."

"But I'm only one person. I couldn't have made you guys spell all of that."

Melody asked another question before Kim could say anything else. When she was answered, she continued asking another series of questions which she purposefully designed to know as much as possible about the spirit: Where did you live? Were you married? Did you have children? How many? What were their genders? What did you do in life?

The answers: _Mongolia._ _Yes_ **[1]**. _Yes. 5. 3 boys, 2 girls. Shaman._

"Oh spirit," Melody asked next, "are you connected to anyone in this room? If so, please spell out their name."

The girls were not so surprised when the planchette spelled out Oyuun's name. When Melody asked how the spirit was connected, the Abjiya moved the planchette to spell out ' _Grandma_ ' per Oyuun's telepathic instructions (which wasn't much of a lie, just leaving out all the 'greats'). As promised, she feigned surprise and said that all the previous answers checked out, that her grandmother really had the same circumstances as the spirit had detailed.

"This is getting creepy," Kim said, no longer hiding her fear. "Can we just end this?"

"A nice old lady isn't scary," Iris pointed out.

"I haven't seen my grandmother in forever," Oyuun added. "And she's a really nice person. But I guess a spirit is unsettling whether they're nice or not."

"So you believe in ghosts now?" Kim asked apprehensively.

Capucine giggled. "I think after tonight, everyone believes a little more in ghosts than before."

Oyuun shrugged. "I was just saying - I never really said I believed it was my grandma. Maybe my fingers are moving the piece more forcefully than I thought. Who knows?"

Melody nodded. "That's the fun of the Ouija board. Like all good things, it has to come to an end, though. I think the rules said we shouldn't communicate for too long of a time, but I have one final question to ask: Spirit, is there anything you wish to say before we end the session?"

Oyuun thought of the perfect message and relayed it to the Abjiya.

The planchette moved in a continuous streak between letters, leaving barely enough time for the letters to be transcribed onto paper. When it finally rested upon the 'S' and nothing further happened, Melody analyzed the paper for what message the string of letters could have spelled out.

_DONTUSEOUIJAS_

"Don't use Ouijas," Melody read aloud after some scrutinizing.

The girls fell silent.

"Why?" asked Iris.

The planchette moved again, spelling out a word they all knew too well: _DANGER_

 _LUCKY THIS TIME_ , it continued to spell out, _MAYBE NOT NEXT_

Even Capucine lost her verve for the game, as her blanched face showed.

Kim groaned. "Are we done yet?"

Melody shook herself out of her speechless trance. "Er, yes, sorry. Thank you, spirit, for your message. We will surely keep that in mind. We appreciate the time you've taken to communicate with us; farewell."

Their hands rested tentatively on the planchette for a few short seconds, and then, with a final burst of strength, the wooden piece slid over to a word at the bottom of the board: _Goodbye._

Without a moment's hesitance, they all withdrew their hands from the planchette and stared at the board with widened eyes. Well, except for Oyuun; she was too busy thanking the Abjiya for helping them out. When Melody began to put the board away, Oyuun asked her, "Where did you get the board from?"

"Oh, I borrowed it from my cousin," the class delegate replied. "I'm returning it tomorrow, don't worry," she assured the shaman girl when she saw the worry on her face. "And I suppose I'll tell her what your grandmother said. A shaman probably knows best in matters such as these."

"Yeah," Iris agreed. "I didn't know your grandma was a shaman, Oyuun. That sounds cool."

Oyuun blushed. "Thanks."

" _IF_ that was her grandma at all," Kim said with a shiver.

"Right," Oyuun affirmed. "Again...who knows?"

Neither of them wanted to dwell on that thought, though. The moment the Ouija board was safely tucked away, they began talking about other things to get their minds off of the eerie game. It was well past ten at this point, but like Melody said, they didn't have to sleep at the appointed curfew. When they finally felt safe enough to sleep, it was already eleven.

"Well, good night everybody," Melody said with a yawn. "See you all in the morning."

Oyuun took off her necklace, placed it beneath her pillow, and settled into her sleeping bag on the floor next to Violette. "Good night, Melody," she said to the birthday girl.

"Night, Mel," Kim said as she got up to leave for the guest bedroom, Iris following suit.

"Sweet dreams," Capucine trilled to everyone.

And then they went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Even in ancient times, shamans were not barred from having families of their own. This was because they were sometimes identified well into adulthood and would already have had spouses and maybe even children by then.


	13. Old Amoris Town

The bus cruised down the road at a leisurely pace, carrying within it a class full of highschoolers. Its destination was the historic part of Amoris where it was originally founded before it expanded to include the modern part that the students were more familiar with. As a field trip sponsored by Mr. Faraize, it was expected to take place in an area that was full of history. The field trip announcement a few days back met with mixed results; some were eager to go, while others equated it to boredom. Regardless, those whose parents filled out permission slips were required to go, for the trip was crucial to another History assignment Mr. Faraize was cooking up.

"History is more than just books, illustrations, and pictures of faraway places," he had said. "Oftentimes, history is a lot closer than you think. Not a lot of people realize it but there's a wealth of history in their local area that's just waiting there for them to explore. For this field trip, we are all going to explore that history, and when we get back, you will write a report based on the experience."

As the scenery whizzed by, Oyuun could almost feel the timeline changing as well. First they had gone by the modern shops and buildings, some parts of which she remembered walking to herself; then the modernity started slipping away, and the buildings seemed to morph into structures of the past. If she imagined hard enough, she could almost believe that they had gone through a time machine rather than a bus.

The bus soon pulled to a stop at a parking lot and the doors hissed open. Mr. Faraize, standing near the driver, directed the students to exit single file in a calm and timely fashion. Oyuun, stuck in the window seat, had to wait for her bus partner to get up first before she could exit herself. When she was finally out of the bus, Iris' mother - a chaperone - was watching over the students and occasionally confiscating phones that Mr. Faraize had explicitly prohibited on the trip. There was nothing wrong with bringing along phones, but there was definitely a problem with burying one's nose in one and not paying attention to the trip or adults.

When all the students were out, Mr. Faraize began consulting a paper for roll-call. Most of the class was here, give or take a few students. Oyuun was not very surprised when the teacher said "Faber, Castiel?" and received no reply. She wondered briefly if the redhead would even work on the alternate assignment he would have to do instead, which would involve actually researching their town's history through books or the Internet. _Perhaps not._

A swarthy gentleman soon came up to the group and Mr. Faraize introduced him as Mr. Whitman, their tour guide. He had a cheerful personality and was quite humorous, which was probably crucial when guiding a group of teenagers around a historic place. When they were all ready to go, he began to lead them out of the parking lot and into the quaint little square of Old Amoris Town.

* * *

"Kids, did you know that Amoris was not originally named Amoris? That it was supposed to have been Willowmere instead, for the willows surrounding Lake Winona?"

Mr. Whitman was answered by a chorus of half-hearted "no"s and shaking heads.

"I don't suppose you know how Amoris was founded, then?" he asked. When he saw that neither of them did, he chuckled and said, "Well, consider yourselves lucky. I'm going to tell you a little tale that you'll hopefully remember.

"The year was 1857. Dimitry van Hardenbroek, a young nobleman of Dutch origins, purchased a tract of land a few miles away from Lake Winona. He was enchanted by the beauty of the land and wished to live in seclusion, surrounded by nature. This whole area used to be completely empty-" Mr. Whitman swept a hand around the buildings, the cobblestones, the old street lamps, the horse-drawn carriages that were rebuilt for the purpose of driving tourists around "-nothing but miles and miles of land. Imagine living all by yourself out here!

"What originally started as a secluded estate soon became a small village," Mr. Whitman continued, "when van Hardenbroek opened up various acres of his land for the working poor to build their houses on. As you can expect, when more people began to populate the area, the village steadily grew and became a small town. van Hardenbroek funded a good part of the building projects to ensure that the growth was pleasing to the eye as well as profitable."

Once again, he gestured for the students to look at the town around them. Depending on how interested they were in historical places, they would see the aesthetics that graced the town's structures and set them apart from what was considered dingy in that era.

"And then, in 1861, he met her - Mary Evangeline Seymour."

Oyuun turned from gawking at the artistic molding of an old bank and looked towards Mr. Whitman.

"She was the daughter of one of the first few well-to-do families that began moving into Willowmere. They met at a debutante ball where Mary, having come of age, was making her social debut. It was love at first sight for van Hardenbroek, and for days after the ball he could not forget her. He began courting her and it was obvious to all that he had eyes only for her. Since they were both of a fair social standing, Mary's parents gave their permission and their blessing, and the couple was engaged by the end of the year.

"But tragedy soon struck the town of Willowmere. During van Hardenbroek's courtship, there had already been an illness spreading amongst the townspeople. Shortly after the engagement, the illness became a full blown epidemic disease, the likes of which baffled the town's doctors. In response, van Hardenbroek invited doctors from other towns, cities, even states halfway across the country, but to no avail - people kept dying left and right, no matter what cures the doctors tried.

"Not even the upper class was spared. van Hardenbroek was thus distraught when Mary came down with the first symptoms of the illness. Knowing that none had escaped it alive, van Hardenbroek began to devote all his time towards finding better alternatives. He left on a trip to Europe upon hearing that there was some medicine could possibly cure the rampant disease, nicknamed by this point as the Devil's Curse. He returned with the medicine a few months later to find a town so badly decimated, there were only five families left alive.

"When he came to the Seymour household to tell them the good news, he was greeted not with joy but with tears, and the family dressed in funeral blacks. It was then he learned that his beloved Mary passed away on April 17th, 1865, just a day before he returned. Had she survived, they would have been married that summer." Mr. Whitman paused for a moment, as if in respect for the dead Mary, and then continued, "van Hardenbroek distributed the medicine amongst the survivors and they were cleared of the illness within the month. The good news spread and people began to flock to the town once more. Not only was he then known for founding the town, he also gained the epithet of its savior.

"Dimitry van Hardenbroek lived quietly for the remainder of his life, contributing great sums of money towards charity, rebuilding, and expanding the town. That remainder was unfortunately a short one, and on his death in August 1878 the five families whom he saved decided to change the name of the town to Amoris, the Latin word for 'love', in honor of his love for Mary."

Mr. Whitman looked towards the group of highschoolers and found that some of them seemed more solemn upon hearing the story. Pleased with that effect, he announced to them, "And now, let us make our way to the cemetery."

* * *

"If you look carefully, kids, a lot of the death dates on these gravestones end in 1863. That was the year the illness took the most victims."

They all murmured in agreement, spooked in various degrees by the startling coincidence of the death dates. Iris sidled closer to Oyuun and gripped her arm with a slight squeal.

"Graveyards are so creepy, aren't they Oyuun?" she asked.

"Yeah," she agreed, although unlike some of the other students, she wasn't afraid. She was actually pretty happy.

As she looked around the old cemetery, at the weathered gravestones, stately mausoleums, and imposing statues of shrouded angels, she couldn't help but feel a pleasing sense of peace. _Everyone here has moved on,_ she remarked to herself. Indeed, nary a soul had shown up in the area, and it was devoid of spiritual traces. _That's a good thing._ It was not rare to come upon such a place, but it was always refreshing to encounter one.

Jade smiled at the two girls. "It's a good thing we're here in the daytime, then. I wouldn't want to see what this place looks like at night."

"Oh, god, that would be horrifying!" Iris said with a laugh.

"Sounds like a good Halloween dare, though," Jade remarked.

Their tour guide led them through the rows and rows of gravestones, occasionally pointing out prominent members of Amoris history that they didn't know about or giving the history behind some of the statues looming over the stones. A few students had been able to identify their ancestors, making the trip somewhat more exciting. When they crested the ridge of a small hill, they could see the shape of a regal manor through the trees. Mr. Whitman smiled when they came upon this sight and told the teens, "The house you see over there is the home of Dimitry van Hardenbroek himself."

Jade whistled. "He sure didn't mind living close to the dead."

Indeed, the part of the cemetery they were standing in now seemed a bit close to the manor, perhaps several hundred yards away from the furthermost edge of the property. Even to Oyuun it seemed a bit strange that someone could live practically next door to the cemetery.

Mr. Whitman smiled at Jade. "When there was no more room to bury victims of the disease in the official cemetery, he donated part of his land to give them a final resting place. Which brings us to the next part - come along," he entreated them, and led them down a small winding path. The graves seemed to diminish in numbers as they walked down this path, until there were no more graves at all and they were swallowed by a thick forest.

The path ended in a small grassy clearing. Sunlight dappled the forest floor and a dainty little gravestone in the middle of the clearing. Upon closer inspection, one could read these words on the stone:

MARY EVANGELINE SEYMOUR

BELOVED DAUGHTER, SISTER, AND BETROTHED

November 10 1843 - April 17 1865

"Unwilling to let go of the memory of his love, van Hardenbroek had her buried here, where he could visit the grave easily." Mr. Whitman pointed to another path on the other side of the clearing. "That path leads to the back gate of his manor."

"Can we go visit the manor?" a curious student asked.

Mr. Whitman shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's not open for tourists. However, our next stop is the Seymour manor..."

A flitting shape in the trees distracted Oyuun from Mr. Whitman. She turned her head in the direction of the shape and found herself staring at two purple eyes in the trees. The owner of these eyes was a young woman with pale blond hair, dressed in a beautiful red gown of the era. When she saw Oyuun staring back at her, she shyly smiled and gave her a small wave. Oyuun looked around at the other students to make sure they weren't watching before she dared to return the young woman's wave.

 _Looks like someone still hasn't moved on yet,_ Oyuun thought. _I wonder why._ She was all the more curious when she considered that this young woman's spirit was the only one she'd encountered in the cemetery, meaning she was the only spirit left behind.

"Mr. Whitman?" Iris asked. "I have a question, if you don't mind."

"Sure, ask away."

"If this is where Mary was buried...where's Dimitry's grave?"

The tour guide grew thoughtful. "Ah, that. Thanks for reminding me. Well, there's a good bit of mystery surrounding that...apparently, a member of the van Hardenbroek family came to claim his body when he died and buried it in the traditional van Hardenbroek family cemetery, which is in another state. But there is no grave there with his name and neither was he interred into a mausoleum. Death records are also vague on his cause of death, citing only that he 'passed away of natural causes'. It's almost as if he vanished into thin air when he died."

Iris elbowed Oyuun playfully. "Creepy, huh?"

Oyuun nodded. "I wonder if they'll solve the mystery someday. I think there were some cases like that before, where they solved it by checking the DNA of the bodies of relatives."

"I wouldn't want to be one of those people," Iris remarked. "Touching a dead body and everything. Ick."

Mr. Whitman started leading the class back down the path since there was no more to discuss at Mary's grave. Oyuun lagged behind with Iris, feeling no rush to leave the place just yet. The young woman's spirit was not a bad one as far as she could tell and even left a cheerful aura about the place. But as she walked toward the exit, she sensed leftover traces of bad auras that breached the peacefulness like tears in a fabric. _Bad spirits come here from time to time?_

She wouldn't put it past them, but there was nothing in particular to attract them. Of course, that meant the young woman's spirit was in danger. So before she left the clearing, the shaman chanted a small protection spell and scattered some of her _buyanhishig_ around the area. It was not as effective as a full barrier, but she had neither the time nor materials to erect one, so this was the best she could do. She hoped it would discourage the bad spirits from returning. When she was a little ways down the path, she turned back one last time to see the young woman standing by the grave and smiling back at her gratefully.

* * *

 _I thought it was interesting that so much history could be found within ten miles of my house,_ Oyuun wrote. _It was a really eye-opening experience and..._

She tapped the end of her pencil against the notebook, unable to think of what to write next.

Oyuun leaned back in her chair and stretched her weary arms. She was working on the introductory paragraph of her report in her room, trying to get some part of it done before it was due the day after tomorrow. Though she had a lot to say on what she thought of the trip, she lacked the inspiration to write it out. _Well, I really liked the architecture of the buildings_ , she thought, _and the Seymour manor was very impressive. But..._

Tap-tap-tap, came a sound from her window.

Oyuun tilted her head in confusion, wondering what it could be. It was dark outside and she didn't think any birds were still up and about. _But t_ _hat's probably what it is - just some bird._

Tap-tap-tap.

Oyuun closed her eyes to shut the noise out and leaned her head against the back of the chair, trying to think of what to write.

_BAM-BAM-BAM!_

She almost fell out of her seat; so loud was that noise. "What the heck could it be?" she wondered aloud, more than a little bewildered. She quickly got off her chair and walked over to her window. When she raised the blinds, she saw a dark little creature sitting on the ledge, panting heavily. The light from her room shone on its pig-like nose, beady eyes, wolfish ears, furry belly, and leathery wings.

 _A bat?_ She shook her head and laughed. _I thought it was something worse!_ She started to lower the blinds when the bat suddenly propelled itself at her window in full force, causing that _BAM_ noise all over again.

She raised the blinds back up. "Ok, ok! Chill." Maybe it just wanted to be able to see into her room. She had no idea what animals thought sometimes. _I wouldn't want it hurting itself too badly,_ she thought, _or I might end up with another spirit helper._ Thus satisfied, she went back to her desk and sat down to resume her brainstorming.

She was, most unfortunately, bothered again by the bat bashing itself against her window in an almost suicidal drive. She started getting worried and ran up to the window - upon seeing her come up, it paused and sat down to take a break. Oyuun let out a frustrated hiss of breath. _What do I do? I don't want it to kill itself, but then I''ll never get that report done!_

She looked up at the taxidermy wood owl on her shelf and called forth Bataar. The taxidermy structure shivered before the spirit helper flew out of its confines and perched on Oyuun's shoulder.

"Hoo," Bataar hooted. "What do you need me for, Oyuun?"

"What do you think I should do?" she asked, pointing to the tired bat. "I found that bat hitting my window and every time I leave, it just does it again."

Bataar hopped down from her shoulder to her arm and peered curiously at the bat, twisting his head clockwise and then counter-clockwise every few seconds as he contemplated the little animal. With a flap of his wings, he looked back at his shaman master and said, "He wants to come in."

"That's nice, but Eje and Aav will kill me if they find a living wild animal in my room."

"Hoo, then he'll just have to hit your window again."

"Agh!" she groaned. "Ok, fine, but if anything happens, can you help me contain him?"

"Hoo, sure."

She flipped the locks of her window and slowly raised it. She stopped it halfway and bent down to peer curiously at the little bat through the mosquito net. _Right, I almost forgot about that,_ she thought as she regarded the net. _Oh well, maybe he'll just give up once he realizes there's another barrier._ The bat's eyes met hers, their inky black depths staring into her as if it could see through her very soul, and then it flew away.

Oyuun shrugged. "I guess that's that. Now to get back to that report." She pushed down on the window again, struggling slightly because of its rigid movement. But a few seconds later, the little black bat was rushing back at her window and burst through the mosquito netting at full speed. She gave an exclamation of surprise and fright, falling back onto her bum. Bataar jumped up in shock and hooted frantically, riled up by the sudden activity.

 _What the heck!?_ Oyuun struggled as quickly as she could to her feet. She had no idea that the bat wanted to get in so desperately! _I should never have listened to Bataar,_ she groaned. _Another spirit helper wouldn't have been so bad._ That last part was only sarcastic, as she didn't think she wanted to gain a spirit helper in such a grisly manner. She looked around for the little animal, wondering where it could have went in its wild dive.

"Okhin?" her mother called out from downstairs. "Is everything all right up there?"

Oyuun paled. "Uh, yeah, everything's fine," she called back. "I was just...cartwheeling."

"Ok. Be careful."

She sighed in relief and quickly locked her door. Bataar landed on her shoulder and pecked her lightly on the cheek. "Hoo, I think he went behind your bed."

Oyuun looked over to the twin-sized bed in apprehension. A little rustling noise on the other side of it confirmed Bataar's statement. She took a deep breath to brace herself for the upcoming chase and said to Bataar, "You stay by me and be ready to stun it so I can catch it. I'll check it for injuries and then we'll release it."

"Hoo," Bataar hooted in confirmation.

The plan confirmed, the shaman girl slowly walked up to her bed. She dropped to a crouch by the end of the bed, pausing a moment to ensure that the bat was still there. But she couldn't hear anything; everything had suddenly grown still. Biting down on her lower lip, she crawled on all fours and rounded the bend. Instead of a bat, she found a dark-skinned young man with black hair and black eyes, holed up in the corner and rubbing the top of his shoulder painfully.

He stopped rubbing his shoulder and noticed Oyuun. When she opened her mouth to scream, he dove forward and pressed both hands against her mouth.

"Please, don't scream," he entreated her, but she swat his hands away and backed up against the wall.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house!?" she demanded.

"Just listen to me, I'm-"

Before he could continue, Bataar flew in sweeping arcs above his head and started pecking him. The young man winced and flapped his arms in the air in a futile attempt to drive the owl away. "Please tell your owl to stop that! I'm trying to speak, here!"

Oyuun paused. _He can see Bataar?_ It was possible for people to feel little stings when Bataar was well and truly mad enough to peck them, but unless they possessed the Sight, they couldn't be able to tell it was an owl attacking them. "Bataar, stop," she commanded, and the owl flew obediently to her side.

"Finally!" the young man shook himself and looked back towards Oyuun. Without a moment's hesitation, he went straight to the point. "Good shaman, please don't be alarmed. I am the bat you saw at your window."

 _How is that possible!?_ Oyuun exclaimed in her mind. Animals simply didn't turn into humans, after all!

Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, he blurted out, "I practiced special breathing techniques every night under the moon! That's how."

Something clicked in her mind then, a memory from one of her earlier lessons with the Abjiya: If an animal stayed out on nights with a moon and practiced special breathing techniques while gazing up at it, it could extend its life for a great number of years. After practicing this technique for a thousand years, it would turn completely black and have the ability to appear in human form at will. If practiced for ten thousand years, it would turn white and acquire great wisdom. But such animals were incredibly rare, the Abjiya had said, as it took a great amount of discipline to practice such breathing for so long.

Bataar cocked his head to one side. "That makes more sense now," he hooted.

"B-but," Oyuun stammered, "a bat? I was told only foxes, sables, spiders, pheasants, and porcupines could do that!"

"Well, you can officially add a bat to that list now," the young man stated proudly. "There's a first for everything, after all." He got to his feet and gave her a gentlemanly bow. "Black the Bat, at your service."

Bataar and Oyuun exchanged glances and then looked back up at Black. She slowly stood up, still keeping her distance. "From where and how did you learn those techniques?" she asked.

"I saw a fox doing it one night and wanted to live a longer life, so I copied him," Black explained. "I think I was in a place you humans call Siberia. But I only did it up to a thousand years, because that was good enough for me. I mean, being able to become human?" He flexed his arms out in front of her. "That's amazing enough!"

 _Siberia is pretty close to Mongolia,_ Oyuun thought off-handedly, _and a lot of the people share similar beliefs._ But she shook that thought away and turned back to the matter at hand. "Indeed, that's amazing, but then why are you here? Why did you want to come into my room?"

Black's face grew serious. "I need your help, good shaman."

"Just call me Oyuun."

He nodded. "I saw what you did for Mary today at her grave. I knew then that you were the right person to come to."

"Mary?" Oyuun asked, and then remembered the young woman in the red dress. "Oh, that - it's no big deal. I'm only sorry I couldn't give her a better barrier."

"It's good enough for now," said Black. "But there are more pressing matters at hand. Oyuun, if you don't mind, could you please come with me to meet a friend of mine? He can explain it better. It's for him that I'm doing all this, anyways."

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh...but I-"

"Perfect!" Black piped up and grabbed her by the waist. "Thank you _so_ much for agreeing to help!" With a surprising amount of strength for his slender form, he hoisted her up underneath his arm like she was nothing and opened her window all the way.

"H-hey! Put me down!" Oyuun exclaimed. "I didn't agree to anything!"

Bataar flapped in alarm, screeching and pecking at Black.

Black ignored it and punched out the mosquito netting. "Brace yourself, Oyuun! You can come too if you want, owl." And without any further ado, he dived head first out of her window.

Oyuun's stomach did a horrifying somersault as they dropped so dangerously fast from the second floor of her house. Her throat caught in fear and her widened eyes were fixated on the grass of the lawn that was coming ever closer to them. In a flash of instinct, she closed her eyes to prepare for the impact...but it never came.

She opened her eyes again and found herself rising away from the ground as quickly as she had been coming down to meet it. She looked back up at Black and saw two gigantic bat's wings on his back, flapping powerfully in the wind. Her jaw dropped in awe at the fantastical sight. Black caught her staring and smiled cheerfully at her. "Don't worry, I won't drop you," he promised, and steered them higher into the air.

Oyuun had been too afraid to look down, so she was unable to see what the town looked like from an aerial view. She did, however, catch the glow of the street lights from the corners of her eyes and supposed they calmed her down somewhat. Whenever Black made turns and twists, though, she shut her eyes tight and prayed to the gods that his grip would not loosen. After what seemed an eternity of this torture, Black slowed down by an old manor house and swooped gracefully through a large open window. Landing gently on the floor, he released the shaky Oyuun and watched as she fell on all fours and coughed.

When she was done, she rose up and sat back on her knees. Bataar flew in a moment later, landing on her shoulder.

The room smelled of musty carpets and old wood. It was dark, so there was not much Oyuun could see, but she could tell from the small amount of moonlight outside that this was not a modern house; the molding was antiquated, the Turkish carpet old-fashioned, the painted portraits equally so...the deeper end of the room was cloaked in shadow and for once in her life, Oyuun feared what was hiding there.

"Hello?" Black called out into the gloom. "It's me, Black. I've returned with the shaman, like I promised."

Her eyes wandered along with Black in search of the elusive friend he was calling out to. A gust of wind from outside blew onto her back and made the curtains billow wildly behind her. A little corner of it touched the nape of her neck, and combined with the chill of the autumn breeze, caused her to shiver.

"Hello? Are you there?" Black called out again.

"Dear, oh dear," a smooth baritone voice then spoke out behind Oyuun. "Is this any way to treat a guest, Black? You could have at least closed the windows." Oyuun then heard a latch being turned and a gentle _clack_ as the windows were shut.

She whirled around and faced a tall man with long ash-brown hair. He had a narrow, high-cheeked, and chiseled face that denoted a European origin. His cold, serious eyes looked down upon her sternly, and his great overcoat, richly embroidered, accentuated his imposing figure. Oyuun felt slightly intimidated and backed away, for she noticed some other details that confirmed to her he was not a normal human:

His eyes were red as blood, and his form cast no shadow upon the floor.

"Dimitry!" Black exclaimed happily. "There you are!" He rushed forward until he was standing next to Oyuun. "Here, this is the shaman I told you about; come on, Oyuun, stand up." He slid two hands under her armpits and hoisted her up onto her feet, jostling the astral Bataar on her shoulder as he did so.

 _Dimitry?_ Oyuun was aghast. _No way...is this-_

The tall man bowed his head lightly. "Dimitry van Hardenbroek. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Oyuun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Dimitry's lover is named Mary Magdelene in the MCL canon but being that I used to go to Christian school, I kept thinking about the biblical Mary Magdelene every time I saw the name so I changed it to something that sounded more Victorian. Hope that's ok with y'all.


	14. A Simple Request

"Please, have a seat." Dimitry gestured towards a red upholstered armchair and settled into a similar one across from it.

Oyuun gingerly obeyed, watching the tall man warily. On her shoulder, Bataar ruffled his feathers and gave her an encouraging peck on the side of her head.

"I trust that you came willingly?" Dimitry asked. "Black did not force you?"

From where he stood behind Dimitry's chair, Black the Bat gave her a pleading look. She turned away from him and looked as composedly as possible into Dimitry's blood red orbs. "Well, he did bring me here a little suddenly," she began.

Dimitry gave Black an unpleasant sidelong glance.

"But he said you needed my help as a shaman," she continued, "so I guess...it's ok."

Dimitry nodded. "Very well."

Relieved by his friend's approval, Black cheerfully asked Oyuun, "Can I get you some tea, then? I'm afraid that's all we have, but it's very good tea."

Oyuun shook her head. "No thanks, I'm good."

"Are you cold? Would you like a shawl?"

"I'm fine," Oyuun insisted.

The red-eyed man watched her carefully before sighing. "I'm afraid the state of our hospitality is not very stellar at the moment," he apologized. "But if there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask."

Oyuun pursed her lips. "Then...if it's ok with you...could I have some light?" She chuckled nervously. "I'm just not used to...um...talking about serious matters in a...dark room."

She didn't want to offend him, but it was the truth. The almost pitch-blackness of the room unnerved her to the very core, alleviated only slightly by the moonlight. It didn't feel like the right setting for a discussion.

"Black, fetch a candle," Dimitry ordered.

The bat obeyed, running off somewhere into the gloom of the house and coming back a few moments later with an unused wax candle. He placed it into a brass candle holder and struck a match to light it. When the candle was lit, Black brought it over to a small table between Oyuun and Dimitry, who visibly recoiled at the sight of the flame. He shifted in his seat and lightly shielded a hand over his eyes, as if he disliked the light and yet wanted to keep some semblance of tolerance to it.

"A-are you all right?" Oyuun stammered, noticing his discomfort.

"I should be fine," Dimitry insisted. "Is there anything else you might need?"

She shook her head.

"Right, then...we can get down to business. I'm sure you've heard the story of Amoris?"

"The tour guide for my class's field trip told it to us," Oyuun said. "It was tragic, but sweet."

"Then you know who I am," Dimitry inferred.

She gulped. "Are you really... _the_ Dimitry van Hardenbroek...the one who founded the town?"

His crimson eyes glinted in the candlelight. "The very same," he replied evenly. He tilted his head in inquiry. "Why do you ask? Is it hard for you to believe?"

"The tour guide said you died in 1878," Oyuun explained. "So of course, it's a little hard to believe you're the...well, the _real_ Hardenbroek. But I've been noticing some things, and..."

"And?"

She felt too nervous to meet his eyes. "You don't seem normal. You've got red eyes, you don't have a shadow, and you don't like the candlelight...but I can't really sense anything from you...I mean, you're not a ghost, but-"

"I'm a vampire," Dimitry cut her off frankly.

Oyuun blinked. "R-really?" she stammered.

"Yes, really. Did you not learn of vampires when you became a shaman?"

The question stung, but Oyuun tried not to let it bother her. "I'm a Mongolian shaman," she explained, "so I was only taught in the old ways of Mongolian lore. I've heard of vampires, but this is the first time I've ever met one." _To be honest, I didn't think they existed..._

Dimitry nodded. "You are at least aware of how one becomes a vampire?"

"You get bitten by another vampire?" Oyuun ventured to ask.

"Precisely."

"So then..."

"When I went to Europe in search of a cure for the illness, I went for another purpose as well. I went to find immortality for my dear Mary." His eyes wandered to a darkened corner of the room. "I planned for it to be a safeguard, in case the medicine I brought back would not work. The medicine was only something I read of that had cured a similar illness in a small village thirty years prior - hardly a well-researched account, and the only one of its kind, at that. I needed a better plan. And so, I let myself get bitten." He paused a moment to let that sink in. "I did not care at that point about the rest of Willowmere. The only one who I planned to bite, if it came to that, was Mary. It would have been difficult convincing the others to let me bite them, anyway. Hardly the 'savior of the town' you originally imagined, no?"

Oyuun pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. Disagreeing might sound like flattery, but agreeing might sound like an insult.

"I need not continue my narrative, as you probably know how the story ended," he then resumed, bypassing her silence.

"But your 'death'..."

"A staged act between Black and I," answered Dimitry. "It's not difficult to fool a doctor into believing your pulse is gone when your heart does not beat in the first place. After I had given away enough of my riches for the betterment of the town, I feigned such an ending and had Black appear as my relative to claim my body. I had not laid out where I wished to be buried in my will, so it was all the more convenient for Black to perform his job. He had to do a bit of disguising, though. His dark skin would have given him away."

Black chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, come on, Dimitry...won't you give that a rest?"

The vampire gave him an amused look. "You did well as a woman veiled in black. But back to the point: the estate went back to the Hardenbroek family, I was 'buried' in my family cemetery, and the world went on without me." He turned his eyes back upon Oyuun. "The truth, of course, is that I have been living here in my manor ever since. Black has been my ever faithful companion, keeping nosy historians and tourists off the premises and making sure all is well for me. Did you understand everything so far?"

Oyuun nodded.

"Very good. Now I will tell you why I am in need of your services." He closed his eyes a moment and his expression looked almost pained. When he opened them again, he kept them from wandering too close to the candle's light, and said, "I want you to help Mary's spirit move on." His voice was noticeably softer than when he had previously spoken. Oyuun thought she could hear a trace of sadness in it. "I cannot see spirits, but Black can, being that he is an animal. It is he who all this time was able to see her and...he's also seen an influx of evil spirits in the area."

"I don't know what's going on," Black explained, "but three months ago a lot of bad spirits just appeared in Amoris. Sometimes they try to attack Mary and I've been doing my best to fend them off, but I can't do much to stop them from coming back. Have you experienced anything out of the ordinary in the part of town you're living in?"

Oyuun gave a start and suddenly wondered whether what she'd experienced was in any way connected to this rise in bad spirits. _"_ There was a Mongolian demon at my school," she told them.

Dimitry raised an eyebrow at this. "A good thing we're not the only ones to have noticed it, then," he remarked. "As you can see, it is dangerous for Mary's spirit to continue in this world. I thank you for the protection you gave her, but I would rather she moved on to a safer place. Even if she is no longer close to me."

Despite the cruelty behind his admission of the true reason for his journey to Europe, Oyuun felt herself pitying the vampire. "Do you know what's holding her back, then?" she asked sympathetically. "Usually, a spirit can't move on if they have unfinished business or if they feel something is holding them back."

Black frowned in thought. "See, this is where it gets tricky. I've talked to her and the main thing she keeps telling me about is 'misfortune in a house of hawthorns'. She says it makes her feel sad and she can't leave if it's still there. ' _I cannot leave James alone in that place_ ,' is what she tells me when I ask for more details."

Oyuun raised an eyebrow. "Who's James?"

Black shrugged. "I don't really know. She had a younger brother named James, but I've seen his grave and he's moved on, so that makes no sense. There aren't any other Jameses she'd be concerned about, either." He sighed. "Forgive me - I'm not very talented at talking to spirits."

"It's ok. I'll probably meet with her myself when I can." Even then, she might still be answered by the same cryptic answers; spirits weren't exactly known for being specific. But that was for another time. She turned to Dimitry. "I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but since you're her lover, you might also be a reason why she can't move on. Are you sure you feel no regret in letting her go?"

He nodded firmly. "I am absolutely sure."

"Ok, then. I'll see what I can do."

For the first time since meeting him, Dimitry smiled. "Thank you, Oyuun. I will be forever indebted to you if you can do this for Mary."

Oyuun timidly smiled back. "She seems like a nice girl. She deserves the peace of moving on."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, before you go - I would like to be updated on the progress of this endeavor, so Black shall be at your disposal to send messages to me. If, and only if, it is necessary, then you may come here. Normally I would hope this to be our only meeting, but I should like to be present when Mary moves on. If that doesn't interfere with anything, of course," he hastily added.

"As long as you don't regret letting her go," Oyuun repeated.

"I can solidly say that I will not," he affirmed. He then rose out of his chair and swiftly disappeared into a darker corner of the room. "Take her home now, Black," he commanded. "I have nothing more to say."

Black bent down to blow out the candle and held out a hand for Oyuun. "Come on, then. We'd best get going."

* * *

Hawthorn, scientific name Crataegus Monogyna, a shrub or small tree of the genus crataegus and the family rosaceae - often up to 15 to 45 feet tall and sporting dense crowns - younger stems bear sharp thorns and the fruit, called a haw, has been known to make jellies and jams - the hermaphrodite flowers are produced in late spring...

_How does it tie in with Mary Evangeline Seymour?_

Oyuun scratched the side of her forehead confusedly, trying to think of ways that might give Mary's riddles a little more sense. In front of her, a scientific book on plants lay open on the table. _Misfortune in a house of hawthorns. She can't leave James alone there._

And now, James, another part of the mystery. The most likely 'James' for Mary to mention sounded like her younger brother. But if it was as Black said, that James had moved on, then there didn't seem to be any reason for her to worry about him. Yet, who else was there for her to worry about?

She sighed and shut the botanical book. This was going nowhere. It was already proving itself to be more difficult than the _shulam_ 's mystery with such confusing leads. And then remembering the _shulam_ , Oyuun sighed even more. _Maybe I shouldn't have ignored its departure? Maybe there was something more to it that I should have paid attention to?_ A sudden influx in malevolent spirits in an area did not bode well, after all.

She put the book back on the shelf where she found it and exited the school library. It was open today, so there was no need to ask for any key to get in. But it would soon be closed, so Oyuun would have to carry on with her research elsewhere.

Stopping by Iris' locker, she gave the girl a quick pat on the back and asked her, "Hey Iris - want to go to the library with me after school?"

"Sorry Oyuun, I have something else I've got to do," Iris apologized. "Maybe Jade? But why do you need to go there?"

"Oh, just for reading," she said. In truth she wanted some company along with her while she did her research. "Perhaps if I can find anything else on Amoris, I'll use it in my report," she added as an afterthought.

"I'd ask Mr. Faraize about that," Iris suggested. "He probably knows what books to check out. I heard he used to serve on some historian committee for the town."

"Oh, that's cool."

Iris nodded. "But don't worry about it too much - you went on the field trip, so you're not required to do any research. If anyone should worry, it should be Castiel; I haven't seen him work on his report at all! The others in our class who didn't go have already started on it."

Oyuun tried not to frown too much at the mention of Castiel. "Well, I'll see you then," she said, and went down the hall to her own lockers.

A little later she arrived at the History classroom. She peeked in first to see if it was busy, and when it was evident that it wasn't, she stepped into the room and went up to the teacher's desk. "Um, Mr. Faraize?"

The bespectacled teacher looked up from his desk. "Yes, Oyuun?"

"The field trip yesterday made me think a lot about our town's history," she began, "so I was wondering if you knew anything more about the Seymour family in particular?"

"Well, what about the Seymour family do you want to know?" he asked.

She frowned a little. "I think...uh...if they had any other family members named James?"

Mr. Faraize chuckled a little. "That's a curious point of research, but you should know that 'James' was a pretty popular boy's name back then. There's a good chance they had other people named James in their family, and a lot of them, too."

"Oh..."

"It's all right. If you want to know about the family itself but aren't so sure of where to start, I would suggest this genealogy book written by Scott H. McAndrews..." He took out a sticky note and quickly scrawled the title and the author's name. "It's specifically about the Seymour family, dating back to the time of King George III in England. It includes almost everything from births, deaths, marriages, notable members...about as much as can be compiled up to the 80's, which is when the book was written."

Oyuun took the sticky note. "Thanks, I'll check this out. Oh, another question-"

"Yes?"

"Did the hawthorn plant have any significance to the Seymours?"

Mr. Faraize blinked. "Hawthorn plant? Hmm...no..." But then he clapped his hands together, remembering something. "Wait, it's not the plant, it's the _family_. If I remember correctly, Mary Evangeline's younger brother had a daughter who married into another family that moved to Amoris not too long after the plague ended: the Hawthornes." He chuckled. "I should know; two of my students are their descendants!"

Oyuun's jaw dropped. "Y-you mean-"

"Yes, Nathaniel and Amber are descended from _that_ Hawthorne family."

The shaman girl's mind was blown. It was evident on her face, which made Mr. Faraize chuckle again.

"I told you there was a lot to discover in local history! Joining a historian committee certainly taught me many things. Specifically for a town like Amoris, you know who's who pretty quickly. Well, have fun with your research, Oyuun. I look forward to reading your report."

Oyuun nodded, still dumbstruck. "Thanks again, Mr. Faraize," she managed to say a few moments later.

"No problem."

* * *

"So, didya find anything yet?" Oyuun heard someone ask her through the bushes.

She jumped up in surprise and whirled around, but was unable to see who had addressed her.

"Psst, down here!"

She looked down and saw a little bat peering up at her. "B-Black," she stuttered, "what are you doing here!? Someone might see you!"

"So? I'm in bat form right now. They won't care." He repositioned himself on the branch and asked again, "Have you found anything about what Mary said yet? Any clues?"

Oyuun glanced around the school running track, which also doubled as a football field. It was PE and the teacher would soon have them run laps as a warm-up. The other students hadn't arrived yet, so there was no one else to overhear them. "Well, the 'house of hawthorns' might actually be about the Hawthorne family. The Seymours are connected to them through marriage. But that's about it."

Black wrinkled his little nose. "How does that make any sense?"

Oyuun shrugged. "I'm not done yet. I'm planning on going to the library after school to see if I can find anything else."

"Why not go to meet Mary? Won't that be easier?"

She sighed. "I'd have to drive myself there or have my parents do it, but I don't know how to drive and they're not going to be available for anything like that until maybe the weekend."

"Oh..."

"Sorry. Being a highschooler makes everything sort of limited."

"Not with me, you're not! Tell me what you need me to do, and I'll do it."

Her face softened into a little smile at Black's readiness to help. "You're good for now," she assured him. "Just give me a few more hours and then I'll leave straight for the library. I'll be sure to find something there."

"Then...can I go with you?" He looked up at Oyuun imploringly, little black eyes shining in a plea.

Oyuun looked away from them. _He can actually look cute when he needs to be,_ she thought. "Sorry," she apologized again to Black. "I think it'd be best if you waited at home for me. You've never been to a library, have you?"

He shook his head sadly.

"Yeah, there are some rules there you'll have to observe," she added. "But I'll bring back the books I need and talk them over with you; how about that? Then later I'll teach you how to act like a normal human on a separate outing."

"Is that necessary?" he asked. "Dimitry already showed me how a long time ago."

"But that was in the nineteenth century, not today, now was it?"

The little bat paused a moment, and then begrudgingly nodded. "All right," Black conceded. "You have a point." He heard a noise down the track and saw more students heading out to the field. "I'll go now, but I'll see you later, Oyuun."

"Bye," she said, and watched him fly away.

* * *

She ended up at the library with Jade (not that she was complaining) and immediately set to work finding that book Mr. Faraize recommended to her, asking the first librarian she saw for its availability. Curious about what she told him regarding Nathaniel and Amber's heritage, Jade followed her and the librarian through the shelves in their quest for the book. When it was found, Oyuun sat down at a table and immediately opened it up, flipping furiously through the pages to the 1860s where Mary would be mentioned.

"Whoa, slow down," Jade entreated her, "or you'll rip a page!"

"Sorry," Oyuun apologized absentmindedly and stopped when she saw Mary's name. Tracing the lines with a finger, she desperately searched for mentions of the Hawthorne family. She bypassed the names of the Seymours who weren't important to her research. James was mentioned at the bottom of the page, which she quickly turned to find more information.

A hand that wasn't hers suddenly blocked out the words from the top of the book. "Jade?" Oyuun asked confusedly.

"That's not my hand," the green haired boy protested, and Oyuun looked up.

"Sup, Butt-saikhan?" Castiel greeted her. "Did you miss the field trip, too?"

She frowned. "No. I'm just here for fun."

He tilted his head. "Oh, really? Then why're you reading one of the books Mr. Faraize recommended to those who didn't go?" He held up a sticky note in his other hand and Oyuun recognized Scott H. McAndrew's book among those in the list.

"It's just for fun, Castiel," Jade interjected. "Were you looking for it?"

"Nah. I don't have to time to go through all of _that_." He took his hand off the book and gestured at the pages. "Just saw you two hanging out here and thought maybe you could help me." He paused for a moment before adding, "Unless you guys're on a date."

" _No!_ " Oyuun blurted out rather loudly. A librarian gave her a stern glance and she lowered her voice. "I mean, no, we're _not_ on a date." Her face was slowly turning red. "We're just friends. That's it."

Castiel chuckled. "Whatever you say, Butt-saikhan. Libraries are boring anyway." Even so, he pulled up a chair and sat at the same table. "Just tell me what you find and I'll try to remember it."

Oyuun and Jade shared a glance before looking back at Castiel. "It's a genealogy book," Jade said at last. "It covers a lot of information on the Seymour family...too much for the report, in my opinion. You're better off looking for a book that's specifically about Amoris."

"We're not even going to use the information in ours," Oyuun added, scanning through the book again. "Well, maybe I'll use some of it, but I was just curious about Amoris' history and then Mr. Faraize told me Nathaniel and Amber are distantly descended from the Seymours through marriage."

"I always thought they were part of some uppity family line," Castiel remarked.

"Family trees are interesting," Jade said. "I'm sure if we dug hard enough through ours, we'd find some pretty cool things."

"Mm-hmm," Oyuun nodded absentmindedly.

Castiel smirked. "Yeah, who knows, I might actually be descended from Hitler."

Even Oyuun paused in her fervent reading to look up at Castiel incredulously.

The redhead laughed. "I was being sarcastic! God, the looks on your faces. You guys are hilarious." When the laughter died down, he added, "My dad's from Germany, so yeah."

"Oh, cool," Jade commented. "I think I have a bit of Polish in me. My last name's Pawlowski."

Oyuun tuned them out, reading fervently on a section about James Arthur Seymour, Mary's younger brother. He married an Elizabeth Bradford and had six children by her. Oyuun zoned in on the daughters, of which there were two - Beatrice and Rebecca. Rebecca, the second oldest daughter, was the one who married into the Hawthorne family. But before she could continue on that thread of research, she saw a sentence that caught her eye: ... _wanderlust caught hold of him when,_ _in 1896_ _, a fifty-year-old James_ _mounted an expedition to Mongolia..._

She gasped at the mention of her country of origin. There was nothing more to read on that expedition though, and neither was there anything further on Rebecca, for the book quickly led to the next generation of Seymours through the sons' lines. Oyuun closed the book and rushed away to find a librarian.

"Butt-saikhan?" Castiel asked confusedly, but she ignored him.

 _Well, I now know what the 'house of hawthorns' is_ _,_ she thought as she went along. _But what is the misfortune? And does James' expedition to Mongolia mean anything?_

Everything still seemed muddled, but Oyuun went ahead and asked a librarian anyway for any books about James Seymour himself and of the Hawthorne family after Rebecca married into them. She returned to the table with said books and was pleased to discover that Castiel had already left.

"Thank goodness," she remarked as she sat down. "He's so annoying!"

Jade shrugged. "He's okay. Just not that studious."

"Well, I'm glad he's gone. You're much better company than he is."

"Aw, thanks."

"I'm serious - you're nice, understanding, and you don't call me by that stupid nickname. It's been ages since it was made up and he _still_ won't let it go."

"Hey, that's what friends are for. Only, they give you stupider nicknames."

Oyuun laughed. "Oh, really? Like what?"

Jade struggled for a moment, trying to think up of such a nickname for her. "It'll take some thought," he answered at last. He peered over at the books. "So, what do you have there?"

"I saw something about James going off to Mongolia and I wanted to follow up on that. Then maybe a little more about the Hawthorne family, since the genealogy book didn't talk a lot about it." She opened the book on James first, which happened to be a biography, and read through the table of contents.

Jade took up the book on the Hawthornes, not so much a genealogy book as a history book on Amoris that had a section dedicated to them, and started reading through it out of curiosity.

In the meantime, Oyuun flipped through the biography in search of the correct chapter. It was not too thick of a book, so she was sure she'd find it soon enough. But she paused when she turned the pages a little too fast and started backtracking through them. _I think I saw something..._ she was frustrated, then, when she couldn't find the page that caught her eye. _Ok, calm down, just turn the pages slowly._ She did so and came back to that page. Or rather, that picture, for it was a picture that caused her eyes to widen with surprise.

She put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my god..."

Jade looked up. "What is it?"

A mix of amazement, confusion, and horror swirled in the pit of her stomach. "J-Jade," she stammered, "does this look like..." Unable to finish her question, she turned the book towards him and pointed to the picture.

He peered at it and he, too, was surprised. "Wow, that's a startling resemblance."

The picture in question was a portrait photo of a young man posing by a table in what looked like a library or a study. He was well-dressed and possessed a tall build, a charismatic face, and a familiar smile. Beneath his feet was a caption that read "James Arthur Seymour, ca. 1862".

He looked exactly like Nathaniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note on Oyuun's name: while it is established early on that she is Oyuun Batsaikhan, a patronymic system (adopted from Russia) is actually the more accurate use for Mongolian natives. A patronymic is a name derived from the name of a father or male ancestor. Clan names are also in use, and families often chose the names of ancestors or famous clans to name themselves after, so the bit in the beginning about remembering the clan name is not at all inaccurate (in Oyuun's instance, it is the name of an ancestor since 'Batsaikhan' is a person's name); however, the patronymic is the one with the more significant effect. But since this story takes place in America, I'd imagine that the clan name takes precedence over the patronymic for naming purposes.
> 
> Therefore in Mongolia, including the clan name: Batsaikhan Surengiin Oyuunchimeg (the -giin being the genitive case)
> 
> Or: Su. Oyuunchimeg (since it is more common to intialize the patronymic)
> 
> But in America: Oyuunchimeg Batsaikhan


	15. House of Hawthornes

Oyuun's mind raced with questions. _Misfortune in a house of hawthorns...unable to leave James alone there...and James looks like Nathaniel...Could Mary be talking about Nathaniel?_

But Nathaniel was living a happy life. He was in a position of power at the school, had stellar grades, a wealthy family - what misfortune could possibly be plaguing him that would keep Mary from moving on?

"It would be an interesting thing to put in the report," Jade remarked. "That James looks like Nathaniel, I mean. Or vice versa, since James was born first."

Oyuun attempted a smile with him. "Y-yeah, that'd be cool. I'll think about it." She looked back down at the picture, such an eerie resemblance to Nathaniel that she could've sworn the student body president simply dressed up for a photograph and had it taken in black and white. Her phone then rang and she looked to see who it was. _Oh, mom._ She picked up the call and talked with her a bit in low tones. It was nothing more than the obligatory "pick up these things while you're out" sort of call, but Oyuun would have to leave now if she wanted to get those things in time for dinner.

She said as much to Jade, who handed her the book he'd been reading.

"Are you sure? Do you want to borrow it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm all good with my report. Will you need any help getting groceries for your mom, though? I can come along if there's anything heavy."

"Oh, no, it's totally fine," Oyuun assured him. "Just a few items."

"Ok," he said with a grin. "I'll see you later, then."

Oyuun waved goodbye and headed to the checkout counter. _Jade's always_ _so nice, offering to help me even though I never ask him. Maybe I should've let him come along? But no, that'd inconvenience him..._ The thought made her heart flutter a bit and for a brief moment, she wondered why. Then she dismissed it, thinking that as long as it made her feel good, there was no need to worry too much about it.

* * *

"Eje, I'm home," Oyuun announced when she opened the door. One hand was holding a plastic shopping bag bearing the logo of the local grocery store.

"Put the groceries on the table, okhin," her mother directed her from where she was in the living room.

The young shaman did as she was told and then went up the stairs to her room. Once inside, she locked the door and took the library books out of her backpack, laying them neatly on her desk. Before she sat down to read them further, though, she opened her window and peered around for Black. "I got back from the library," she said into the open air. "You want to hear what I found out?"

A flapping noise above her head made her look up and she saw the bat hanging upside-down from the roof's gutters. "I'm coming!" he exclaimed, and Oyuun ducked her head back inside to give Black some space.

He landed gently on her floor and underwent the transformation from bat to human. Oyuun realized this was her first time witnessing the process, and it was an amazing thing to behold. In as little as several seconds, the tiny bat bulged in size - doubling, tripling, quadrupling - his features and limbs twisting and contorting into different shapes as he grew, until he acquired the distinct profile of a human male. When he was done, he looked up eagerly at Oyuun.

"What have you found? What is it about?"

"Patience," she said, and brought out James Seymour's biography. She turned the pages until she found the photo of James that had astounded her earlier. "So this is James."

Black nodded. "It says so here," he said, pointing at the caption. "I've never seen him before, so..."

"Well, he looks _exactly_ like a classmate of mine," Oyuun stated. "And that classmate happens to be a part of the Hawthorne family."

Black put two-and-two together. "So this classmate of yours...is Mary's brother?"

Oyuun rubbed her chin. "You mean, he's James' incarnation? That's a possibility, but I'm not able to tell if that really is so. I'm not that powerful. However," she added, her index finger pointed upwards, "it still makes sense because not only does he _look_ like James, he's also _descended_ from James - even if just distantly."

Black frowned, looking down at the carpet. "Are you sure this is the James she's talking about? What if..."

"There can't be anything else."

"But then, the 'misfortune'? What is that?"

"I'm just getting onto that," Oyuun explained, and turned more pages to continue reading. "I have another book here that has a section on the Hawthorne family. I'll check it out, but I want to make sure I've covered everything from James first. He actually went on an expedition to Mongolia in 1896, when he was fifty."

"That's a nice coincidence, but it doesn't really have a connection to Mary."

"You never know." She found the spot she was looking for and settled down next to Black. "Three months ago, or two months before I came to Amoris, bad spirits started popping up in the area. I met a Mongolian demon at my school, and then I learn that a distant ancestor of one of my classmates went to Mongolia. Sounds funky, but then again, 'misfortune in a house of hawthorns' sounded even funkier and I still got somewhere with it."

The bat contemplated her for a moment, frowning at the confusing jumble of evidence she put before him. "Are you always this insistent when you investigate something?" he asked, but got no answer, for Oyuun was too engrossed in her reading to listen.

* * *

"Whoa, Oyuun, you look terrible."

Oyuun rubbed her eyes. "Is it really that obvious?"

Iris nodded. "Did you get enough sleep last night?" she asked worriedly.

"Probably not."

"Was it the report?"

"No, I finished that before dinner." Oyuun yawned and squinted her eyes shut. "I'll be ok, don't worry. Just a little sleepy."

Iris turned back around in her seat. "Ok, but let me know if I can help with anything, all right?"

Oyuun wished she could ask for Iris' help in her current spiritual endeavor, but she obviously couldn't say so. She read more last night about James' expedition to Mongolia in his biography, but other than bringing back several artifacts, there really wasn't much in the way of misfortune. One could consider the deaths of his wife and remaining sons after the expedition as misfortunes, but Oyuun wasn't sure they applied in Mary's context. She took up the other book and devoured the section on the Hawthornes, but they seemed to be just like any other family with their fair share of good and bad luck. She then used the Internet on her laptop to search for more details, but no matter how long she stood up digging through digital archives or typing in search criteria, nothing much could be obtained.

Of course, there was another possibility that loomed at the back of her mind, always present and yet unwelcome: the misfortune was occurring right now, to Nathaniel.

She hoped that she was wrong, but the evidence seemed to point towards him. There were moments of doubt when she questioned the legitimacy of her findings, yet when she tried to think of ways to discredit them, she could only believe in them further. What was right? What was wrong? What was she even _doing_?

Such thoughts caused Oyuun to seek Nathaniel out in between classes, as if she could make sure of his well-being by simply looking at him or asking after him. But every time she came close to the student council room or saw him in the hallways, she was suddenly unable to make herself approach him. They really had no reason to talk to each other, not as much as they had before. It felt awkward to try to strike up a conversation when there were no common grounds to start one in the first place.

But if she didn't talk to him - if she didn't at least say hi - somehow she was letting Mary down, even though she knew nothing conclusive about the misfortune in question.

So she tried again as soon as she was able. She swallowed her anxiety and marched with resolution to the student council room. Her hand tightened around the doorknob and twisted it open. When she gained admission, she saw Melody holding an ice pack to Nathaniel's forearm, which was mottled with the blackest, ugliest bruise Oyuun had ever seen in her life.

Oyuun's sharp gasp made their heads turn in her direction. "What happened?" she exclaimed.

Melody almost dropped the ice pack in surprise. "You scared me! It's all right. It was just a fall."

Nathaniel chuckled sheepishly. "I was carrying too many books down the staircase. Stupid me, huh?"

"Don't say that," Melody chided him and pressed the ice pack firmer on his skin. "You were trying to do too many things at once. That's all."

Oyuun blinked, her heart beating fast. _For a moment, I thought..._ She shook her head. "That's a relief," she sighed a moment later. "Good god...I thought something happened...well, I mean, something _did_ happen," she quickly added. "But not in the sense that I...I just thought it was something worse, like..."

Nathaniel smiled reassuringly. "I'm ok, really, but thank you for your concern."

"On the other hand, Oyuun - are _you_ ok?" Melody asked. "You don't look very well."

She was confused until she remembered the dark circles under her eyes. "I stood up late last night," she answered. "But it's no big deal."

"If you say so." Then Melody remembered that Oyuun hadn't stated why she entered the student council room. "Oh, right, did you need something?"

There was silence as Oyuun tried to think of something to say. The longer it went on, the more inquiringly Nathaniel and Melody looked at her. At last, she shrugged and said, "I just wanted to make sure everyone was doing well," and hastily bid them goodbye.

* * *

When school ended for the day, Oyuun skipped the basketball club and headed straight for home. There was only one way to make sure her findings were accurate or not, and that required time - time to act it out, time to ensure Nathaniel would not yet leave the school until she was ready, and time to collect herself when it was done. Attending the club would waste much of that necessary time. Besides, she was used to skipping it. There was no longer an incentive for her to continue there and she didn't even like the sport. She only went frequently enough to keep her membership out of guilt for Dajan, who seemed happy that the club was able to attract a girl for once.

Her parents weren't home, which was ideal. She let herself in using her own key and dashed up the stairs to her room. Slinging her backpack into a corner, she opened her window again and looked up towards Black's usual resting place beneath the roof gutters.

"Black, come in," she ordered him. "And don't turn into a human this time."

"Something new?" he asked curiously once he was within her room.

"No," she admitted. "But I'm going to do some researching in a more direct way. Listen carefully: wait outside in a tree by the sidewalk. Watch for a cat that will come close to the tree. It might take a while, but a cat will definitely be there. When that cat speaks to you, you are to follow it wherever it goes."

Black was taken aback. "W-what!?" he exclaimed bewilderingly. "A cat!? I can't trust a cat! Those things are evil!"

"You can trust this one," she promised him, "because that cat will be me."

The answer confused the bat even more.

"Just go!" she shooed him. "We might run out of time!"

"Ok, ok..." Black flew out, but only after giving one last doubtful glance behind his shoulder.

Oyuun closed the window and plopped down on her bed. Laying her head against her pillow, she made herself as comfortable as she could atop her blankets. She closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and focused her mind on a faraway place, a place of open plains and windy skies. Slowly her mind slipped away from reality into this place, and the burdensome weight of her body was no more.

* * *

It is sometimes said that an animal is actually a shaman traveling in spirit to do their work.

It is sometimes true.

That's why it was often a risky endeavor for shamans back in the old days. A hunter, thinking nothing of his actions, kills an animal with his arrow - a shaman in another place, while conducting a ritual, falls dead to the ground. It's important, then, that a shaman chooses an animal that is hard to kill or is not normally eaten. Such known animals were the porcupine, the snake, the fox, the weasel, the spider, or the pheasant - but this is the 21st century. Times have changed. You cannot kill an animal without breaching some sort of law or without good cause, especially in urban areas. Unfortunate car accidents may happen, but if you are quick on your feet and even quicker with your eyes, they are well prevented.

What better animal for this century, then, than the cat?

Light on its feet, quiet and subtle, and a valued household pet; no one would think to catch it if it looks clean and well-fed, assuming instead that it belongs to a house in the neighboring area. With its sleek shape and watchful eyes, it is slippery enough to enter small crevices and evade potential danger. Truly, it is the ideal animal vessel for a shaman in these modern times.

But before I do anything of the sort, I need the blessing of the Abjiya. I'm not obligated to, but having only acheived my second degree of shamanism, I dare not attempt spirit travel without some sort of token of protection. With the Abjiya's blessing, I can go about as an animal under her power while also having her protect my mortal body at home. I'd rather have that insurance than take the risk.

The Abjiya is surprised to find me at the entrance of her yurt at so early a time in the day. "What brings you here?" she asks me after I enter the yurt, for it is not custom to speak with one person across the threshold of the entrance.

"I'm going to do some spirit traveling," I explain to her, "and am here to ask for your blessing."

She stares at me a moment before breaking into a smile and ruffling my head. "Ah, you tenacious child, you - is it the matter of the ghost named Mary?"

It's not surprising to me that the Abjiya knows, because I've told her. "Yes," I nod.

"Well then, stay safe," she warns me, "and don't do anything foolish." She leads me to sit before her at the fire in the middle of the yurt. When we are both seated, I focus my energies for the transformation while the Abjiya chants her spells. I lower my eyelids and stare into the fire, watching its dance and breathing in its heady smoke. My sense of time becomes blurred - whether it has been a second or an hour, I can't tell. I only know that this ritual will take a while from previous excursions, before which I had put aside a clock to keep track of the time. The shortest was half an hour; the longest, two.

I summon as best as I can the image of a cat into my mind. Any color will do, as long as it's a cat. Soon enough I feel my very composition changing: my arms shorten and bend forward, giving me four legs to support myself instead of two. My head shrinks into a small, circular shape, after which my mouth and nose protrude into a delicate little snout. A long, slender tail balances my weight from behind and pointed ears perch atop my head. I let out a little yawn and can feel sharp teeth edging the inside of my mouth. When I open my eyes, I suddenly see the world from a very low point of view. Spying the tree by the sidewalk, I dash up to it.

* * *

Black shifted uneasily on his perch in the tree. He hated cats, disliked them, feared them - they were always so sneaky and quick and precise, that one may not realize one was in danger until too late. He had his fair amount of run-ins with cats during his long life and if it weren't for his ability to turn human, he might have turned into cat food a long time ago.

He was all the more unsettled when Oyuun's latest instructions revealed to him that she had the ability to turn into a cat. While he didn't doubt her goodwill, he worried that her cat side might overwhelm her human side. What if she tried to eat him? Though he could get away by becoming human, she might do it when he least expected it. How could he protect himself then?

So it was that when a cat came running up to the tree almost an hour later, he felt his heart catch in his throat.

The cat spied him amidst the branches and sat its rump down as it regarded him. "Black, it's me, Oyuun," the feline then purred in the animal language.

 _When the cat speaks to you, you are to follow it wherever it goes._ That had some merit to it; most cats didn't bother talking to him. They only wanted to pounce right to the kill. "You swear you won't eat me?" he asked shakily.

"Of course I won't," Oyuun promised him. "That'd be disgusting."

"Are you _sure_?"

She rolled her eyes, which were now blue in this body. "Don't be silly. I'm traveling in spirit, so I'm still me. It's not like I'm going to devolve into a cat just because I'm in the body of one."

He cautiously flapped down to the lowest branch and hung upside down on it. "Why a cat?" he then asked.

"I don't have the time to explain," Oyuun said. "Now come on and follow me if you want to know what the 'misfortune' is." So saying, she flicked her tail and padded down the sidewalk.

Black lingered on the tree branch awhile before curiosity got the better of him and he flew after her. He landed on her back, the fur of which he clung to. He didn't think it very inconspicuous for humans to see a bat trailing after a cat, and her fur was a nice dark grey, which hid him well. "So you know what it is?"

"No," she replied, "but maybe after this trip, I will."

"Where are we going?"

"To the Hawthorne house."

He then remembered her classmate. "Why not just go as a human if this classmate knows you?"

"I don't know Nathaniel that well, and his sister..." She gave a sigh. "I'm not on good terms with her. This is the best way I could think of."

"Why, do they have cats?"

"Well, no...not that I know of. But it's the best way because I can tail Nathaniel home without him even knowing a thing. You know, because cats are stealthy?"

Black grunted in distaste. "I know that all too well," he replied dryly.

It took a while for Oyuun to realize that her question might have come across as offensive. "Oh, sorry," she apologized to the bat.

Once they exited the neighborhood, Oyuun quickly led them out into town down the path she took to school. Not many people traversed this way at the moment, but Oyuun still kept to the sidelines and the corners like a normal cat would. As she expected, no one spared a second glance at her. She was too normal a sight for them to think anything was out of the ordinary. Except maybe for the dark bump on her back, but Black was luckily not too big of a bat. He flattened himself further in response, pressing so close to her back that she could feel him breathing down her fur.

"And now, we wait," she announced to him when she reached Sweet Amoris' entrance. She chose a spot away from the traffic of the stairs and yet advantageous enough to offer her a view of whoever went by. When she was properly settled, she twitched her tail back and forth in lazy arcs, keeping a watchful blue eye on the doors of the school.

"Do you know how long it'll take?" Black asked.

"Not really," she confessed. "I know that Nathaniel often stays late, but I don't know exactly when he'll leave." _Hopefully he doesn't stay until dark, like last time,_ she thought as she remembered her nightly investigation of the _shualm_ the month before.

Black sighed in exasperation. "That's just great," he grumbled.

But she ignored him. Some time passed and a few students went by, but none of them were Nathaniel. Oyuun made a show of occasionally licking her paws and grooming her head like a normal cat, sometimes even humoring those students who tried to call her over by padding carefully up to their outstretched hands for a quick sniff before dashing back to her former spot. She gave herself some amusement by hissing at Castiel when he walked by, causing him to give her a disgusted look and to mutter "Stupid cat," under his breath.

She chuckled at his reaction.

"You don't like him?" Black surmised.

"Not much," she replied.

And then their target came. It had taken a long time, and even Oyuun's patience was beginning to wear thin, but Nathaniel eventually emerged carrying a serious looking leather shoulderbag in one hand. Oyuun watched his body language to make sure he was ready to leave and was satisfied by the air of finality he put into directing his steps away from the school. _Does he walk to school,_ she wondered, _o_ _r does he take the bus? But wait, if he's so rich, then shouldn't someone come by to pick him up?_

He suddenly stopped when he noticed her. Oyuun watched him carefully, wondering what his attention meant. He squat down to get closer to her level and held his hand out in front of him, rubbing his fingers as he did so.

"Here, kitty, kitty," Nathaniel coaxed her in a gentle voice.

 _Ah, so he likes cats._ That made things a little easier. She pretended to tilt her head in confusion, just to drag out the suspense, before tenatively stepping up to his fingers for a whiff. _Vanilla and raspberries,_ she thought when she smelled the traces of a specialty hand soap on him. _Fancy._ When his fingers started scratching the side of her head, she jolted slighty, as any edgy cat would, but then melted under his touch by offering him her whole head to scratch and purring delightedly.

Nathaniel chuckled. "You like that, don't you?"

She purred again and pushed past his hand to brush herself up against his leg. He responded by giving her flank a good rub before rising back to his feet and smiling down apologetically at her. "Sorry, kitty, I have to go home now."

Oyuun meowed at him inquisitively, staring up at him with her big blue eyes.

"I don't have any treats for you," Nathaniel continued. "See?" He held out his hands to show her they held nothing. "Maybe next time." Then he turned around and walked away.

Black perked his head up. "He really does look like the James in the picture," the bat remarked.

"Told you," said Oyuun, and padded after him.

They followed Nathaniel a little ways down the town until he stopped by a bus stop. He sat down on the bench in the bus shelter and rifled through his bag's compartments. Oyuun sat down by the edge of the shelter and tried to think of what to do if he did end up using a bus. She could jump on at the last minute and slink under the first row of seats to hide herself, but she had to be quick.

"Argh," Nathaniel sighed in frustration when his hand came out empty. "No bus money today, huh..."

Oyuun was shocked. _What? But he's rich!_

He ran a hand over his face as the realization sank in. It was evident that the lack of money was not a good thing. "Guess I'll have to walk," he muttered to himself, and hefting the bag in his hands, got off the bench to continue walking.

Oyuun quickly cantered after him, still thoroughly confused. _Maybe he just ran out of it today,_ she thought as she tried to make sense of it. _Happens all the time._

She quickly learned how unwelcome the news of no bus money meant to Nathaniel as she followed him on his journey home. It was a long route to his house, probably thirty or forty something minutes by foot, not counting all the times he had to wait his turn to cross the road. He took occasional breaks by the curb or on a bench, but before a minute could pass he would be up and walking again. When they finally reached his neighborhood, Oyuun was not surprised to see that it was practically a gathering of mansions.

"Black, we're here," she whispered to him, and the bat shook himself awake (for he had fallen asleep on the way).

"Wha-?" he asked dazedly and looked around. "Oh! Impressive."

The houses were generously spaced apart, giving the neighborhood a sense of vastness and distance from each neighbor, yet not so far away that it would cause lack of conformity. Oyuun trailed after Nathaniel down the sidewalk to the gates of the third house on the right, which took even more time due to this spacedness between houses. He pressed a button at the gate and a static female voice asked who he was. "It's me, Nathaniel," he responded, and the gates slowly swung open.

Before entering, Nathaniel noticed Oyuun at the corner of his eye and looked incredulously down at her. "You followed me all this way?" he asked in disbelief. Oyuun simply meowed at him. He shook his head and walked in. "No, maybe it's just another cat."

Oyuun slinked within before the gate closed and settled near a bush to stay out of sight as Nathaniel walked to the door. It opened when he came close and he greeted an older female, presumably the housekeeper, for she said to Nathaniel:

"Your parents are awaiting you in the dining room, Mr. Nathaniel."

He sucked in a breath. "I'm not late, are I?"

"A bit, Mr. Nathaniel."

The student body president pursed his lips, but said nothing and went into the house. The older woman lingered at the door a while before reentering and closing it after her.

Before it was completely shut, though, Oyuun raced up the steps and slid past the woman's legs, missing them by a hair of an inch. She thanked her lucky stars as her feet touched the smooth hardwood floor and quickly dashed behind a potted plant to hide herself. A little later, she peeked out from behind the plant to get a scope of the house; big, airy, and regal with the use of polished dark wood paneling in the walls. Rather old-fashioned, but in the wealthy sense.

Black's eyes darted here and there as he, too, took it all in. "So...what now?"

"We can't explore freely," Oyuun began, "so I guess...we'll go to the dining room."

"Ok."

She listened for sounds of activity in the general area before slinking out of her hiding spot and tip-toeing down the hall. She raised her little black nose in the air and sniffed for dinner scents as well as kept her eyes peeled for any place that might look like it could lead to a dining room. As she went along, though, she felt a prickling of negative energy that made the hairs on her neck want to stand on end. She felt tempted to raise her hackles, but fought the urge and pressed on.

Black felt the bad vibes as well. "Brrr...I don't like that feeling...can you feel it too, Oyuun?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "It makes me uncomfortable."

What struck her was that it was definitely spiritual. It felt like coldness and emptiness and fear. It was so...so _dead_. Oyuun couldn't think of any other way to describe it. Why would something like this be in Nathaniel's house? She finally reached the dining room, but the aura still resonated to her from another place. It was on the same floor, but some distance away; just a few paces...

"Oyuun, back up!"

She snapped back to reality and hastily obeyed Black's warning. She soon saw why she had to, for if she had taken another step, she might have made herself visible to the inhabitants of the dining room. Heart racing, she whispered her thanks to Black, and settled into the shadows of the corner in the wall to listen and watch whatever she could see.

She could certainly see Amber, sitting at the table with a bored look on her face and pressing away at something on her phone. She could see the head of a gorgeous blond woman, whose face was a definite resemblance to Amber, her green eyes staring unemotionally at the wall ahead of her. She saw only half of a man dressed in a dark business suit, just enough to know that he had dark brown hair and moustacheless goatee. Of Nathaniel, he was not visible, but she assumed he was on the other side of the dark haired man when she heard his voice: "I'm sorry for coming home late..."

"Where were you?" the dark haired man asked, clearly not pleased. His voice was severe and grating.

"I had to walk home," Nathaniel replied timidly. "I...I ran out of money for the bus."

"Ran out of money for the bus?" The man laughed. Then he grew serious again. "What have you been wasting it on, that you ran out so soon?"

Oyuun heard Nathaniel take in a shaky breath before responding, "N-nothing, Dad...just the normal stuff...the bus, school supplies...that's it."

"Are you trying to say I give you too little?"

"No! No, of course not."

 _He certainly has a strict father_ , Oyuun thought.

Nathaniel's father went silent for a while. "Adelaide, Amber," he then said, "I would like to speak to Nathaniel in private."

Tension immediately became palpable in the air. "Francis," Adelaide began, a trace of both wariness and weariness in her voice.

" _Adelaide_."

"Right," she breathed, and rose out of the chair. "Come on, Amber."

Amber got up without diverting much attention from her phone. "Ok, Mom," she replied absentmindedly. But then, as if remembering something, she turned to Francis and asked him sweetly, "Oh, Daddy, I want to get some new shoes at the mall this weekend with Li and Charlotte. Can you give me some more money? Just forty more dollars? Pretty please?"

 _What is she thinking!?_ Oyuun thought incredulously, sure that the strict Francis would cut that idea down as harshly as he had interrogated Nathaniel for his lateness.

But she was soon proved wrong. "All right, sweetheart, I'll give it to you when I'm done talking to Nathaniel." Francis' voice was suddenly as sweet as Amber's, exuding nothing but affection. "In fact, I'll give you fifty, just to be sure."

Amber giggled. "You're the best, Daddy!" And then she left with her mother, her heels clacking away from the room.

 _What...what the...?_ After the initial shock passed, Oyuun could now understand why the girl was so selfish. What struck her the most was the unfairness of the situation.

"Looks like someone's a daddy's girl," Black remarked.

And fifty dollars - as if they were nothing but mere pieces of paper! Oyuun could only shake her head at how easily Amber valued money.

When they were alone, Francis quickly turned back to Nathaniel. "Now," he began, his voice returning to its severe sharpness, "speaking of money...how is it possible that you ran out so soon, if it was just _bus fare_ and _school supplies_?"

Nathaniel stammered a little. "W-well, I didn't need to buy a lot of school supplies this month...but the...the bus fare went up a few cents..."

"And?"

"And...well, um...the money ran out sooner..."

"If it was a difference of 'a few cents', I hardly see how it should have run out _this_ soon."

Nathaniel went quiet for a few seconds, before resuming in such a strained voice that it was almost a whisper: "Dad, I...my allowance this month...I think it was cut..."

" _Lies_ _!_ " Francis roared. His hand slammed against the table and rattled the diningware. Oyuun and Black cringed in their hiding spot, frightened by the volume that threatened their keen animal ears. "How _dare_ you!"

"Dad, no, I didn't mean-"

"Then what did you 'mean'?"

"I, I just, well, I noticed this month that it was lower than last time-"

"Then why didn't you say anything!?" he roared again.

Nathaniel gulped. "I didn't want to upset you."

Francis' chair scraped against the wooden floor as he stood up, presumably to glower at Nathaniel from a higher height. "Did I raise you to be a coward?" he hissed. "Are you - _my son_ \- such a weakling that you would hide behind lies to excuse your frivolous spending?"

"But I did not - I did not lie," Nathaniel stammered.

"Come again?"

"I...did not lie..."

Oyuun's heart leapt into her mouth when she saw Francis swing back his hand and heard the slam of a fist against a body, followed by a crash against the wall. " _You insolent boy!_ " the man thundered. "I didn't raise you to be so disrespectful!"

A shadow behind Francis suddenly loomed out to rise above him. Oyuun watched it grow the more violent Francis became.

"It's not my fault you can't keep track of your own money!" Another strike, another hit. "Do you know how your life became possible? Huh? Do you know how you got to live with all _this_?" His hand swept over the dining room furniture. "Because _I_ worked for it! I brought home the money to make it possible! And I certainly didn't waste it on whatever stupid things _you've_ been throwing yours at!"

"Dad, please!" Nathaniel's voice sobbed out. "Dad, dad...I'm sorry...I was wrong..."

But Francis was not moved by the plea. He moved out of sight this time, continuing his abuse from there - and the shadow, that darkness behind him, swirled about the room like a poisonous cloud.

"Wh-what is that?" Black whispered.

"This is bad," Oyuun breathed. But she was drawn once more to the aura beyond the dining room, all the more so because it seemed to resonate in sync with the shadow. Slowly, she rose from her hiding spot and crawled towards that aura. It seemed to become more familiar the closer she got to it; as if she had interacted with it before...

They entered a small sitting room, tastefully decorated. The bad feeling came from an object that sat on a pedestal by one of the chairs. Oyuun looked around to ensure there was no one before leaping up onto the chair to get a better look.

"A toli mirror!" she gasped when she caught sight of the familiar round shape, flat and reflective on one side, decorated with a mandala on the other. But unlike her brass one, this one was bronze, and age had dusted it over with a dull gray color. Tied to a knob in the middle was a long blue scarf that circled it like flowing ripples.

Black's claws dug tightly into Oyuun's fur. "It feels evil," he ground out, filled to the brim with fear.

Oyuun agreed, but unlike Black, she was somehow drawn to that evil. It beckoned to her, inviting her to come close. There was a sort of comradery between them, and Oyuun knew why: it had once been a shaman's tool. Her head came up to the mirror, her eyes entranced by the mandala design and the flowing fabric of the scarf. Black tried to stop her, but her nose touched the surface of the mirror -

_The tribal raid, fire, screaming, chaos; the mother was killed, the mourning son soon after. His spirit fled his body in a daze of rage and confusion. Only one thing was on his mind: revenge._

_He flew over the plains, a hapless soul, causing mischief but with no idea of how to exact his vengeance. One night he found a black shaman all alone in the wilderness. The shaman was an outcast, for he had cursed more than he healed. Still hungry for power, he invited the spirit into a pact with him. He gave him the power of one of his toli mirrors in exchange for the spirit's energy._

_But something went wrong. The spirit fed and fed on the shaman's power and would not stop feeding. Soon he drained the shaman of all his life and was glutted with his power. In a glorious frenzy, he sought out the tribe that had led the raid and swept their campfires over their yurts. Everything and everyone burned to ash before the sun rose. The spirit was no longer a simple wandering soul; he had become a shulam._

_As the centuries passed, the shulam had to keep the mirror in power, or he would lose his rank. He did this by toying with a human's dark emotions and then taking their lives._

_In 1896, James Arthur Seymour arrived in Mongolia. After some traveling, he was given the outcast shaman's mirror. He brought it home and showed it off in his manor. Undeterred by this change in location, the shulam continued in his soul reaping. One by one, James' wife and four sons were robbed of their lives. In grief, James packed the mirror and all other such decorations away, partly blaming them for his misfortune. For another century or so, the mirror was shut up in a wooden crate, the shulam trapped along with it._

_And then, three months ago, it was freed._

_Francis Hawthorne found the crate in the attic and opened it. He placed the mirror in a sitting room to be displayed as a proud relic of history belonging to a distant ancestor. The shulam was then awakened and jumped at the opportunity; but he had lost much of his former strength laying dormant. Thus, the dark energies of the mirror reached out to other dark spirits, calling them to empower the mirror with more stolen souls. In the meantime, the shulam toyed with the members of the Hawthorne family, causing Francis to lose his promotion at work to a college upstart, amplifying his disappointment, and directing his rage towards the Hawthornes' one and only son._

_When that was not enough, he ventured beyond the house's confines and found a suitable well of energy in the troubled heart of a boy named Castiel Faber. His feeding was thwarted when another black shaman somehow discovered him, but once he regained enough power, he would soon be back..._

_-_ "Shoo, cat! Bad cat!"

Oyuun yowled and hissed as the housekeeper swat her broom at her. She jumped off the chair and scuttled across the floor of the house to avoid the angry old woman. The housekeeper had luckily thought this out, for the door to the house was left slightly ajar, just enough for a cat to pass through. Oyuun shot through the opening right as the housekeeper caught up to her.

"And stay out, you nasty cat!" the woman yelled in triumph before slamming the door.

Oyuun dashed for the house's gate and slipped through its metal bars. Once she reached the sidewalk, she slowed to a drunken walk and found herself panting for breath.

"Phew, that was close!" Black exclaimed. "I tried to warn you someone was coming, but you wouldn't listen! What was wrong with you?"

Her legs felt wobbly and threatened to give away. "Mirror," she huffed, unable to keep her breath up. "Shulam...was in...mirror..."

"Huh? Oyuun? What're you-"

She shut her eyes and gave in to the swaying of her feline body, which collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Oyuun awoke to the feeling of someone shaking her by the shoulder. She gasped as if she had been submerged in water, and sat up sharply.

"Finally, you're awake," Black sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that next time!"

She turned her head and found Black in human form kneeling by her bedside. "I..." She ran a hand through her hair, remembering all that transpired, up until she blacked out. "Oh Black, I'm so sorry - I left you all alone back there!"

"Hey, no worries. I followed your souls when they flew home. Besides, I know my way around Amoris."

She swung her legs off the bed and attempted to walk to her desk. Her legs became jelly halfway through and Black rushed to help her up. He led her to her swivel chair and laid her gently upon it.

"Are you ok?" the bat asked, concern etched on his features.

"It's that mirror," she mumbled. "It's what's been attracting the evil spirits." She felt a shiver run down her spine at the memory of its touch and the vision it elicited.

Black's face grew thoughtful. "I see..."

"And the shulam...all this time, I..." Oyuun lowered her head and covered her face with her hands. "I shouldn't have been so distracted...I should have...should have..." She then told the story of her experience with the _shulam_ to Black.

"Look, it's not your fault you were sad about something," he comforted her, referring to her desolation at Ken's transfer. "The shulam didn't leave because it thought you were distracted. It sounds more like it left because your Abjiya weakened it when it tried to attack you in your sleep."

"Maybe so, but I _ignored_ it, Black - I planned to forget all about it thinking it was nothing, and now Castiel and Nathaniel are in danger!" At the mention of Nathaniel, her voice cracked. "Oh gods...Nathaniel..." The truth of the 'misfortune' weighed down on her like a stone upon her shoulders. "I had no idea..." Her vision misted over and a lump grew in her throat. "And I was so rude to him at first..." Oyuun covered her mouth with her hand and gripped it tightly to stifle the oncoming sobs.

"O-Oyuun, don't cry..." Black put a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Black," she argued, her voice still choked, "of _course_ it's bad. If we don't find a way to stop the shulam and the mirror...Castiel or Nathaniel could die..."


	16. What Now?

Oyuun picked her way through the crowded bus, weaving in between people old and young, a hand on Black's wrist as she guided him through the claustrophobic mess. They finally squeezed into an empty spot and clung to the handholds above their heads. A few minutes later, the bus doors closed with a hiss and the vehicle lurched forward, causing Black to stumble.

Oyuun caught him with her free arm. "Careful," she warned him.

"Thanks," he said shakily.

As the bus rolled down the street, it gained in velocity until it was at the appropriate speed. The windows were more or less blocked by people, but little snippets from the corners and in between showed the town whizzing by in a blur. Black tried not to look at it, for it made his stomach churn. He turned instead to Oyuun and leaned his head closer to hers.

"I told Dimitry about the mirror," he whispered.

"And?" she whispered back.

"He wants to know what your solution is."

The shaman fell silent. Black was almost afraid she hadn't heard him. But then she said, in a solemn tone, "We have to steal the mirror." After another weighty pause, Oyuun sighed and added, "I mean, I. I have to steal the mirror. It won't stop its evil, but it will take it away from the Hawthornes and make Nathaniel's situation better. Of course, a blessing has to be performed on the house, but..."

"But it's going to be a tall order to fill," he finished for her.

"Yeah."

The implications were strikingly obvious. There was no way Oyuun could gain admission into the house; Amber disliked her and she wasn't close enough to Nathaniel to be invited by him. Even if she could, it would be difficult to take the mirror without them noticing. Going as an animal was not even an option, for she was sure the housekeeper would not be so careless next time. Serious actions would be taken if an animal were spotted carrying the mirror away. Then there was the matter of the blessing; such a thing would be a tedious ritual, involving the major corners of the house and Francis Hawthorne himself. She didn't think he would appreciate that since he seemed to be a no-nonsense sort of person.

She said as much to Black, and added in low tones, "I'm not even that good at blessings. I'm a black shaman, so blessings aren't my specialty - the peaceful kind, anyway. I can obtain a blessing for a hunting party, but this isn't a hunt." She shook her head. "The only thing I can think of besides a blessing is a curse."

"How is a curse going to help?" he asked incredulously.

Oyuun shrugged. "I can curse the darkness out of Francis, if that makes any sense. It'll take longer for the remaining darkness to seep out of the house, but at least it takes it out directly from him first." Which was still a difficult thing to do, regardless.

Black grew thoughtful. "I see. Then Francis will go back to being a good person, right?"

Yet another thing that bothered Oyuun. She wished the answer could come to her more readily, but the truth was she had no idea. For all she knew, the mirror was probably enhancing the bad attributes of Francis' personality. He'd stop being violent to Nathaniel, but one did not have to be violent to be a bad person. She could only wait and see what would happen after the darkness was gone.

To Black, however, she said, "I guess so."

Then the bat had an idea. "How about this - you tell someone what's going on? If they can remove Francis, Nathaniel would be safe and then you can, well, somehow, take the mirror. Francis wouldn't be under its influence, and you won't have to do anything to him."

She hated being a naysayer, but she had an unfortunate truth to tell him. "That was my first thought and I looked it up on the Internet...the authorities don't always take the abuser away immediately. They have to do a house check and then an investigation. If they don't find anything on the spot, the abuser will actually get to stay in the same house. If that happens, Francis would only become more enraged and then the mirror might cause him to do something drastic. Let's not forget that he has enough money to hush it up. I can't take that risk."

Oyuun looked so downtrodden that Black couldn't help feeling a pang of pity for her. "So," he said a little later to change the subject, "your parents couldn't drive you this weekend?"

She shook her head. "No, but they gave me permission to go since I told them I'd be with a friend."

"Do you often lie to them like that?" he wondered. "I guess it makes sense if it's for something good, like helping a spirit move on, but..."

The shaman blinked and stared at him as if he had just sprouted tentacles. After a while she started to giggle, which confused him.

"What?" Black asked. "What's so funny?"

"It might be a lie, depending on how you look at it," she answered cryptically, and after some thought, Black realized what she meant.

"So...you think of me...as a friend?"

Oyuun shrugged. "Maybe."

"Oh, come on! I know you do!"

She smiled teasingly but withheld her comments just to mess with him. He became frantic at her silence, which she broke a little later to keep him from worrying. They then stayed silent for the rest of the ride, concerning themselves with keeping their balance and getting off at the right stop.

* * *

When they reached Old Amoris Town, they found the historic district packed with weekend visitors. After disembarking the bus, they entered a long queue to pay their admission; the school had covered the admission cost for the field trip using an educational discount, but since they were going on their own, they would have to pay for two adults. Oyuun was lucky she hadn't used her allowance on anything else and that adult admission was ten bucks a person. Between that and the bus fare to return home, she had enough left in her pocket, maybe even for a small lunch if they got hungry.

Black surveyed the crowd and the slow movement of the queue. "People today seem more relaxed than they were before," he remarked.

"Huh?" Oyuun asked, looking up from counting her money.

"You know, because everyone was so uptight in the nineteenth century? But look - people today have sloppier postures, and the rich and poor don't care if they're mingling."

Oyuun glanced at the people around them. "I see what you mean," she agreed, although she didn't consider the postures as sloppy, just casual.

"Acting like a human today is going to be much easier than I thought," he concluded with a grin.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't pursue the point.

They eventually came to the end of the line and Oyuun paid the admission fee to a bored teenager. He waved them in and turned disdainfully to service the next person. Once that was done, Oyuun and Black walked freely into the cobblestoned streets, plunging themselves into the heart of a forgotten era. Horse-drawn carriages ambled by and filled the air with cheerful _clip-clops_ ; a faraway bell's toll echoed amongst the buildings and informed them of the time. Reenactors also walked among the visitors, adding an extra charm to the old town. Oyuun wondered why she hadn't seen any on the day of the field trip, and when she asked one, she learned it was only a weekend special.

"Reminds me of the old times," Black said softly.

Oyuun nodded. "They do look pretty accurate."

But then they spied a reenactor taking a break by a wagon with a can of soda in one hand and a smartphone in the other.

They both exchanged a brief glance before bursting out loud in merry laughter.

As the pair continued on their walk, they turned down the road that led towards the cemetery. A tour group was also coming that way, led by none other than Mr. Whitman. He didn't recognize Oyuun, though; he probably led too many tour groups to remember every face. His voice, loud and clear, rang out over the group and Oyuun could hear him telling them the same story of Amoris that she heard on her field trip. Black listened to him curiously, and when the story was finished, he seemed melancholy.

When the tour group reached the stand of trees that overlooked Dimitry's manor, Oyuun and Black walked past them down a familiar little path leading into the woods. They reached Mary's grave shortly after and stood side-by-side in respectful silence for a few moments. Then, just as before, Oyuun caught a flitting shape from the corner of her eye and turned towards that direction.

Mary timidly stepped out from amongst the trees. "Good afternoon, Black," she greeted the bat. "And..." She looked at Oyuun with inquisitive purple eyes.

"My name is Oyuun," the shaman introduced herself with a smile.

Mary smiled back. "A pleasure to meet you, Oyuun."

Oyuun dipped her head in agreement, trying to match the etiquette of the ghost's era. "Same here," she responded.

"You mean, 'likewise'," Black corrected her. He tried to stifle a smirk. "Looks like I have a lot to teach _you_ about being a human of the nineteenth century..."

Mary giggled, to which Oyuun sought to change the subject out of embarrassment. "Well...how have you been, Mary? Has everything been peaceful for you?"

"Oh yes, lovely," the ghost nodded. "Much better than before, thank you." She then moved closer to Oyuun, her purple eyes looking into the shaman's golden ones in a worried plea. "Ah, but have you seen James lately? I fear he's still..."

Black gave a small but purposeful cough that Oyuun did not miss. She looked towards the bat for a split second before turning back to Mary. "Yes, James," Oyuun began slowly. "Well, I can't lie to you - his situation is still...um, difficult - but I know what I have to do now. It shouldn't be long before he is finally free."

"Oh, you promise you'll help him?"

Oyuun nodded. "Yes, I promise."

Mary let out a sigh of relief and enveloped her ghostly hands around Oyuun's. They were cold, as was expected of a ghost. They also would have fallen through had not Oyuun been quick to hold her hands in place, as if Mary were still substantial. She wanted to make the ghost girl feel as comfortable as possible, and reminding her of her current state would have been the height of rudeness.

"Thank goodness. I had been so worried. And Dimitry? He is not planning to do anything rash, is he?"

Oyuun blinked, wondering what the spirit could be referring to. "Uh," she stuttered, and looked towards Black for confirmation, but even the bat had no clue. "No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

Mary smiled apologetically. "I don't mean to worry you, but Dimitry can be so unreadable sometimes. He hides too much in his heart...even from me."

"I'll make sure he'll do nothing of the sort," Black assured her gently. "You believe me, don't you?"

"Oh, of course."

The shaman then drew back and watched them talk, warmed by the familiarity they shared. It was evident that the ghost trusted Black more, as she questioned him less often and spoke with him more cheerily. But they could not continue as long as they wanted, for the tour group was beginning to come down the path. Their noisy steps, crunching on leaves and gravel, could be heard even from the farthest end of the clearing.

"We must leave now," Black said to Mary. "But we'll come back soon. Hopefully, when we do, we'll have good news to tell you of James."

"And Dimitry," Oyuun hastily added.

Mary smiled yet again and thanked them one last time before withdrawing back into the foliage.

* * *

"Sorry, Black. I only have enough for us to split a sandwich." Oyuun huffed and looked back towards the window of the eatery. They were sitting out on the patio of a historic restaurant, one that claimed to have been a part of Amoris ever since the 1860's. "The prices here are just way too much!"

"I guess that's what happens in a tourist attraction," Black shrugged. "Charge for high prices inside, where it's inconvenient to eat elsewhere." He looked over the menu, specifically at the prices. "Things today seem more expensive, though...or wait, actually-" And he explained to Oyuun the difference in currency that he noticed. Things only seemed more expensive on the surface, but upon closer inspection, it looked more like the _standard_ for pricing increased rather than the prices themselves.

Oyuun blinked confusedly. "I don't get it."

The bat scratched his head in frustration. "Ok, well let me ask you a question - how much did your parents pay for your house?"

She tried to remember. "They took a mortgage for a hundred-something thousand dollars," she said at last.

Black jolted. "Well - that's - wow. But moving on; how much do you think it'll take for someone today to get a manor like Dimitry's?"

"Millions of dollars, duh."

"What! I don't doubt that the manors were expensive, but still - a hundred thousand dollars could get you a lot back then, and millions? That's more like..." But she couldn't quite catch the rest of his words.

His surprised reaction continued to confuse Oyuun. She supposed the price norm was different in the 1800's than it was today, but she couldn't quite wrap her head around the point Black was trying to make. _I wonder how he coped with such differences throughout the centuries, especially with such contradicting knowledge?_ _He's never been in something like a library, and yet he knows quite a bit about human habits - even more than me!_

Her thoughts were broken by the appearance of a waiter who arrived with their food. He set the sandwich down on the table along with complementary glasses of ice water. Oyuun asked for an extra plate, which he returned with a few seconds later, and after thanking him, she proceeded cut the sandwich in half with her table knife. She shifted the cut half carefully onto the other plate and slid it towards Black.

The bat watched her pick up her half of the sandwich in her hands and take the first bite. His face wrinkled when he saw some sauce from the end of the sandwich drip onto the plate.

Oyuun noticed his disgusted look and tilted her head in confusion; her mouth was full, so she didn't want to speak.

"It's nothing," he assured her. "I guess I just have to get used to some things. Your elbows are on the table, by the way."

She looked down at her elbows and took them off, placing them by her sides instead. "I guess sandwiches weren't as messy back then?" she ventured to ask after swallowing.

"They were smaller and more manageable, at least in Dimitry's house."

Oyuun nodded thoughtfully, taking another bite out of her sandwich. Black had begun to do the same, although he worked at it tediously.

"How did you meet Dimitry?" Oyuun asked after a while. She took a sip of her ice water and placed her quarter-finished sandwich on the plate. "If I may ask," she added.

Black shook his head. "It's no problem," he said between mouthfuls. "It's not a touchy subject. I might omit some stuff that Dimitry wouldn't want me sharing, though." When he got her approval, he went on, "I was traveling around the area as a bat. I think Mary had been dead two years at that point. He found me stuck in a bird trap and...I really don't know what made him, but...he saved me. He was such an empty shell when I met him, but he still had enough heart left to save my life." The bat shook his head, as if such a thing were impossible to believe.

"I think Dimitry's nicer than he looks," Oyuun commented. "I mean...I don't know why he wanted to live alone in the wild, but he ended up giving land to the working poor. He also let people bury plague victims closer to his estate when there was no more space in the cemetery."

Black smiled fondly at her words. "Everyone has their own selfish agendas, but they also have their share of selflessness; some more so than others. Then there're those like Dimitry, who are absolute mysteries." The bat took another bite out of his sandwich and swallowed. When he next spoke, it was to continue the story: "After he saved me, I wanted to return the favor. I approached him in human form, explained who I was, and said I would be ready to do anything he asked of me, as long as it was reasonable and within my power." He paused for a while, causing Oyuun to lean in from the suspense. "He told me to sod off and leave him alone."

Oyuun jumped back in her seat. "How mean!" she exclaimed.

Black chuckled. "I know, right? And this was the man who took pity on a bat."

"Did he believe you?"

"Oh, sure he did. Just not in the way you'd think. ' _If vampires exist, then animals that can turn into humans aren't so singular_ ', was what he said, I think."

Oyuun tilted her head in confusion. "So vampires can't transform into bats?"

Black looked at her strangely. "Where on earth did you get that idea?"

She frowned and explained to him that that was what she heard of vampires growing up. He laughed it off like it was the most ridiculous thing ever. Oyuun was tempted to retort with the fact that an animal who could turn into a human thanks to breathing exercises sounded just as silly at face value, but instead she asked, "Then what _can_ vampires do, besides drink blood?"

That question had been at the back of her mind for several days. Dimitry was technically dead, but he did not feel like a spiritual being; if he was, he surely would have been able to see Mary's ghost. That meant he was alive in some sort of way. Science could not be used to explain the phenomena, and neither could anything Oyuun learned from the Abjiya.

"That's just about it," Black said. "They drink blood to survive. Animal blood works, but human blood is more fortifying. Turning a human into a vampire is a part of that, but it's not as simple as taking a quick drink. _All_ the blood must be drained from the body - that's where the 'undead' part comes in. The victim 'dies' of blood loss and then comes back to 'life' as a vampire."

"But...how?"

Black shrugged. "How should I know? It just happens."

Oyuun supposed she couldn't expect him to know the fundamentals of it, anyway. _I guess it'll be one of those things that are forever unsolved, or at least are unsolved for a long time._ But then another question hit her, a more chilling and gruesome one: "Does that mean Dimitry's been drinking people's blood to survive?"

At that, Black's face grew serious. His answer was also rather vague and defensive. "I don't really know what he does to survive and I've never seen him feed, but even if he did drink human blood, what's it to you?"

It was effective enough to silence Oyuun and make her stutter an apology. When she reflected back on her question, it did seem rather insensitive. To change the subject, she meekly asked Black for the rest of the story, which she remembered he had not yet finished.

"Dimitry accepted my presence only after he knew I could see Mary. I spent the next few months pretty much relaying messages back and forth between them. I suppose I got used to him, and decided to stick around, and then..." He shrugged. "That's it. It's been the same for the last hundred-ish years. Honestly, if you've lived as long as I have, a century doesn't seem that much." He proceeded to ramble on that point, which Oyuun politely listened to, although her mind still revolved around her earlier mistake.

They finished up their food within the course of the conversation and left after Oyuun paid the tab. Though it seemed an ideal day to go sightseeing, she had to go home because her parents specified a certain time period for the outing. So back they went through the admissions gate and into the parking lot, where there stood the bus stop that they had come off from. They sat down together in the shelter along with a few other people.

One of them stared oddly at Oyuun's head, causing the girl to look down at the pavement to ignore it. After all this time, she had forgotten how strange she still seemed to some people. But she was pleasantly surprised to find that, besides some minor discomfort, it didn't bother her as much as it used to. _Iris and Jade really worked wonders on me. And i_ _t's just hair, after all_ ; so saying, she quickly lifted her head again to resume its former position. She wasn't sure if what she saw from the corner of her eye was right, but the person who had stared at her seemed occupied with something else. She willed herself not to think too much about that person and directed her gaze elsewhere, occupying her mind with different things, until she stared off into space.

After some time passed, Oyuun turned towards Black curiously, having remembered something. "You didn't mention it, and I don't mean to pry, so let me know if I'm asking too much...but what was your life like before Dimitry?"

The bat smiled at her (which made her happy that he had forgotten the blood question) before shaking his head. "It's not that interesting. It's so long, it'd bore you out."

Before she could protest, a bus approached the stop. Its doors hissed open to let out its current passengers and accept new ones.

* * *

Oyuun thought she could come up with a plan after that trip to Old Amoris Town.

She was wrong.

It had been days now and she had racked her brain trying to figure out ways to sneak into the Hawthorne house, with no results. If she went in human form, she would be committing burglary; if she went in animal form, she might be carted off by Animal Control, or worse, killed; so the only way seemed to be to gain an invitation to the house, but that in itself was virtually impossible. Nathaniel would most likely never invite any friends over with such a family situation, and Amber? Amber would laugh in her face and make even more fun of her. Not that she cared (ok, maybe a little), but in the end, the important thing was that the problem would not be solved. Calling the authorities was strictly out of the question, for even if they took Francis away, the Hawthorne family would be especially averse towards receiving visitors.

The thought made her feel extremely guilty. In a normal situation, she would have picked up her phone and called social services. She was tempted, too. But the explanation she gave to Black still stood: _If they don't find anything on the spot, the abuser will actually get to stay in the same house._

 _But what if they_ do _find something on the spot?_ a nagging voice in her mind would argue. _What if they can take Francis away? Wouldn't that be better for Nathaniel? And then the mirror - you wouldn't need to remove it. Nathaniel's safety is what matters more to Mary._

"Then what would happen to Castiel?" she countered back during one such torturous moment. If the mirror stayed and the shulam returned stronger than before, it might do more than just feed off Castiel's negative energy. She shuddered as she remembered the vision from the mirror, when the shulam wouldn't stop feeding off the black shaman.

It did not help that she incurred her parent's wrath for staying up too late thinking of these problems. Of course, they didn't know what she was worrying about - how could she tell them she was trying to help out a vampire, of all things? - but they worried nonetheless that their daughter was not as obedient to her curfew as she had been before, and took steps to reinforce it further. Those steps included removing her phone and laptop from her room after eight in the evening, as well as some of her books, as reading was an occasional pastime of Oyuun's.

 _Maybe I will find an answer in the morning,_ she would think before closing her eyes every night. Sleep provided some small comfort, an avenue of escape - but when morning came, and she still had no ideas...

* * *

It was with displeasure that Oyuun found Halloween, the end of the month, drawing ever closer. Even then, she still hadn't come up with anything. She wouldn't blame Dimitry if he decided not to rely on her anymore. If she were in his place, she didn't think she would either. Black had not given her any news that revealed Dimitry's thoughts, but she was sure the vampire was running out of patience.

 _Maybe I'll have to throw in the towel_ , she thought sadly. _I didn't expect it to be this difficult._ How could she even think of trying in the first place? She was just a second level shaman. She should have quit the moment she discovered the mirror in the house. The thought both demoralized and frustrated her.

"Hey, Butt-saikhan, you barely come to the basketball club nowadays."

Oyuun closed her locker and found herself face-to-face with Castiel.

"Dajan told me to ask you what's up," the redhead explained. "He tried to track you down between classes but couldn't reach you, so he asked me."

She turned away from him, the very sight of him reminding her of her supposed failure. "My phone number's on the application. Why didn't he try to call?"

Castiel huffed. "Come on, Butt-saikhan, you of all people should know it probably got mixed up somewhere."

" _Don't_ call me Butt-saikhan," she snapped.

He blinked. "Kay, fine. Geez, what's twisted your panties today? Is it that time of the month already?"

She bit down heavily on her lower lip, her frayed nerves _so close_ to snapping. "If it's because I'm going to lose my membership, you can tell Dajan I'm ok with that."

Castiel tilted his head inquisitively. "I thought you said you loved basketball."

"I don't."

"So...you lied to us?"

Oyuun froze in place. _Gods, can I get any stupider?_ "N-no, I..." She sighed, releasing some of the pent-up tension. "I just have too much going on right now. I'm sorry."

He seemed to have noticed the weary crack in her voice, for the tone in his response was a little softer. "All right. I'll tell him. You won't be able to come back to the club, though."

"It's...it's fine..."

She felt her heart break a little when she imagined Dajan's reaction to this answer. But it had been spoken and she could not retract it. _Great, yet another thing for me to feel bad about,_ she thought as she listened to Castiel's retreating footsteps. She heaved another sigh and started walking in the opposite direction. _The basketball club'll probably think I was just some stupid girl who tried to join and got bored when it got tough. Ugh, they might even think I joined for Castiel, if Amber ever spread that rumor._

Speaking of Amber, she saw the golden haired diva walking up ahead with Li and Charlotte. As the three girls drew closer, Oyuun could only fall even deeper into her pit of self-deprecation as she thought of how Li and Charlotte must have had easier access to the Hawthorne house than she did. If only they weren't so hostile to her. If only she were in one of their places. If only...

And then the insane idea hit her. How would she know Amber wouldn't invite her if she never tried to get that invite? Surely she could humiliate herself a little; after all, weren't the fates of Mary, Nathaniel, and Castiel more important?

When Amber and her friends finally drew close enough, she - either bravely or stupidly - moved in front of them and caught their attention with a clearance of her throat.

Li was the first to notice something was up, for her sharp brown eyes immediately shot daggers at the Mongolian girl. "Oh look, it's Butt-saikhan," she muttered spitefully.

"What do you want?" Charlotte asked. Amber simply frowned.

Oyuun took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk with Amber," she said slowly.

Li snorted derisively. "Oh, so you think you can just talk to her whenever you want? It's not enough that you're trying to run after her crush-"

"No, that was a misunderstanding-" Oyuun began protesting.

But Amber held out a hand to silence them. "I think I know what this is about," the Hawthorne interrupted. A smug grin spread on her face. "Don't waste your breath on this, girls."

Oyuun was slightly confused; all the more so when Amber drew out a cream-colored card from her purse.

"It must hurt to be so ignored," Amber purred, pushing the card into Oyuun's hands. "Honestly, I didn't even remember I was supposed to give this to you."

Li gave a _tsk_. "I thought you said you didn't want her there," she hissed.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Charlotte asked.

"Girls, come on!" chided Amber playfully. "We mustn't be mean to the needy. Besides, she might even be useful at the party; whatever shabby costume she comes up with can help contrast our fabulous ones!"

They laughed mockingly in unison and brushed past Oyuun without so much as a second glance. The shaman could care less, for it was the card that interested her more. Ducking into a less crowded part of the hall, she leaned her back against the wall and opened it-

_You are cordially invited to attend the_ _Hawthorne family's first annual_

_Halloween Masquerade Ball,_

_open exclusively to Sweet Amoris students in the class(es) of_

_Amber and Nathaniel Hawthorne,_

_and a total of one extra friend._

She almost couldn't believe her eyes. To make sure, she rubbed them twice. Was she dreaming? Was this an illusion? No - was Amber messing with her? She hoped and prayed with all her heart that Amber wouldn't be so cruel. She needed this opportunity.

Its legitimacy was thankfully proven when Iris walked by and noticed Oyuun's shocked face. "Oh, so you got one too?" the friendly redhead asked, eyes on the card. "What do you think? Personally, I think it's too fancy."

Oyuun looked up at Iris with the expression of a starving person who had just found a treasure trove of food. " _Are you kidding me_?" she asked in an almost maniacal elation. "This is what I've been waiting for all along!" She grabbed the girl into a tight hug before tucking the card reverently into her backpack and bounding off to her next class. _And I_ _know just the person to bring along with me,_ she added in her mind. _I can't do this alone, after all!_

Iris stayed behind in the middle of the hall, blue eyes blinking confusedly. "Okay," she breathed, "that was...weird...but I guess if it makes her happy..." With a shrug, she recomposed herself and walked in the same direction to class.


	17. The Dress

Before Black left that night to deliver the good news to Dimitry, Oyuun held him back by the wrist and looked imploringly into his eyes. "The invitation said I could bring one extra friend. Black, if you don't mind, could you...?"

"So you _do_ think of me as a friend," Black teased.

"Well, yeah. Also, I don't think I can pull it off alone...I would actually feel safer if you went with me." She ducked her head and chuckled sheepishly. "Knowing me, I might mess up and lose this one chance because I got scared. I'm not an expert thief, either. I..."

He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "No worries. I'll go with you. I'm not a thief myself, but maybe I can come in handy. We'll discuss our plans when I get back, ok? How long do we have until this party anyway?"

"A week."

"So seven human days. Got it."

She took a step back to watch him shrink into a bat and fly out her open window. When he was gone, she drew closer to the ledge to watch his little form flapping through the sky. A glimmer of hope then sprung in her heart and she felt as though she could sleep peacefully that night. It may be just a small step they had taken, but at least it was a step forward.

* * *

Oyuun was approached by Lysander after lunch the next day. He had been awfully quiet in his steps, for she didn't notice he was behind her until he tapped her on the shoulder.

The shaman girl jolted and whirled around. "Oh! Lysander?" she asked dumbly.

He nodded politely at her. "Hello, Oyuun."

Gathering her wits about her, Oyuun recomposed herself and asked, "Did you need something?"

Lysander shrugged. "Not particularly. My older brother runs a specialty clothing shop in town and he received an order for you just this morning."

Oyuun blinked in confusion. "For me?" she echoed.

"Yes, for you. The thing about it is...I don't think the man who placed it has any relations to you."

 _What is he talking about? If Aav was the one who did it,_ of course _he's related to me._ Still, the silver haired boy had not been very clear. "Can you describe this man to me?" she probed. "Maybe I might know him."

"Of course. He's tall, around six feet perhaps, has long brown hair, a narrow face, and wore some outdated clothes."

Oyuun then believed she knew who it was. "And...his eyes?"

"He wore sunglasses," Lysander replied, "so I couldn't see them. What's interesting is that it was very early in the morning and not that bright out. I suppose he has sensitive eyes or didn't want people recognizing him." He shrugged again and regarded her curiously. "Do you know him?"

"Yes, I...I think I do," she stuttered. "He sounds like a friend of my, um, dad's. What was the order that he placed?"

"An alteration for an old costume. A bit of restoration here and there, and, oh, I was also going to ask if you could come to the shop so my brother could measure you."

She nodded. "Sure, I can go right after school ends."

"It's all right if you have a club to attend," Lysander assured her. "The shop will still be open."

Oyuun chuckled nervously. "Oh, no, I don't go to a club anymore."

That seemed to surprise him. "I thought it was the baseball club?"

"The basketball club," she corrected him before giving a helpless shrug. "I wasn't going often enough to keep my membership, so...yeah." The thought of it still made her feel guilty.

"Well, all right." Lysander turned around to go on his way. "I don't have a club either, so I'll meet you at the entrance when school is over."

"Ok. See you then."

* * *

True to his word, the Victorian boy stood waiting for her at the school entrance when the appointed hour rolled by. Oyuun felt perplexed at the thought of spending some time in his mysterious company, but it sounded as though Dimitry was involved in this latest development, so she thought it'd be best to go and see what it was. Besides, this clothing shop sounded awfully familiar...

"Lead the way," Oyuun said as she came up to Lysander. She did her best to give him a friendly smile, but her attempt was thwarted when he not only didn't return it, but ignored it completely. _He always struck me as the strange one,_ she thought, remembering the few times they interacted.

Her mind quickly focused on something else as she followed him out the school and into the streets. She recognized a few of the buildings they went by, so she supposed the shop was in a place she knew well. When they approached a quaint little storefront with a sign reading 'Ainsworth Clothing Shoppe' above it, Oyuun now knew why it sounded so familiar.

Lysander pulled open the door, eliciting a little jingle from a bell hanging in the corner. "Leigh, I'm back," he announced to the dark haired man behind the counter.

The dark haired Victorian man.

Oyuun started putting the pieces together. _So he and Lysander...are brothers_? But of course! Why didn't she notice it before? They both had the same fashion and facial structure, and if she remembered correctly, Leigh had uttered Lysander's name when she first ran into him.

Leigh looked up from what he was doing and smiled pleasantly at Oyuun. "Welcome to our shop, young lady."

She wasn't sure if he remembered her or not, but she greeted him anyway. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you, Leigh. I'm Oyuun. Actually, I'm here because Lysander said someone placed an order for me...?"

He nodded politely at her in a similar manner to Lysander's. "Very well. Come with me to the back and I'll take your measurements. Then I can start on the alterations..." He trailed off, mumbling to himself about tailor-related things that Oyuun didn't understand.

"Pardon him, he does that sometimes," Lysander whispered to her as they followed Leigh.

They went through a narrow corridor to a back room furnished with a large work table, shelves of fabrics, some sewing machines, and countless dress forms **[1]**. Another person was in the room, pinning back a piece of fabric on a dress form. When she heard them approach, she perked up and smiled widely.

"Lys-baby, Leigh!" she exclaimed.

 _Lys-baby?_ Oyuun looked at Lysander curiously. But when the shaman stepped into full view of the room, there was more than just the ridiculous nickname to confuse her, for she found herself staring at a fashionably dressed white-haired and golden-eyed girl around her age.

 _What...the..._ If it weren't for their different facial features and hairstyles, Oyuun could've sworn she was looking at a reflection of herself.

"Oyuun, this is Rosalya," Lysander then introduced them. "Rosalya, Oyuun."

Rosalya waved at her. "Hey! How you doin'?"

The other girl's voice shook Oyuun out of her trance, although she was still quite flabbergasted. "Uh, um, I'm good...you?"

"Great! Why don't we get started?" She ushered Oyuun over to a corner in the room. "Stand still, ok? Leigh's going to get the measuring tape. So, you go to Sweet Amoris?"

"Yes..."

"Cool, me too! What grade?"

"Tenth."

"She's in Castiel's class," Lysander explained.

"So, I'm a grade above you," Rosalya remarked to Oyuun. "Ah, wait a second." She tilted her head in thought. "Castiel's class - white hair - oh god, Lysander, is this the girl that Amber...?"

"Yes," Lysander supplied. "It's her."

Leigh came over to them with the measuring tape in his hands. "Hold out your arms, please."

Oyuun did as she was told. The measuring tape cinched around her waist shortly afterwards. "I guess you all heard the story," she said, feeling more than a little embarrassed.

"It made me so mad!" Rosalya huffed. "I should've been there to give you advice - if the same thing happened to me, I wouldn't have been half as bothered."

Oyuun then remembered the Abjiya's advice to detach herself emotionally from petty insults. "I guess I should've been less sensitive."

"Turn around, please," Leigh instructed her.

Rosalya continued the conversation even though Oyuun was not facing her. "I don't think it's a matter of sensitivity," she disagreed, "but rather, insecurity. Amber must've known what your insecurities were to make you feel worse about them. She wouldn't do it if she thought you didn't have them, right? 'Cause then how would it hurt?"

 _That's very true,_ Oyuun thought. _But Amber didn't know me that well when we met...so how did she...?_ Unless there were notes in her student files from her old school that the administration of this new one had been able to read? _And then she has the student body president as a brother - ok, yeah, now I think I know why._ Pushing that thought out of her mind, Oyuun began to ask Rosalya, "So, um, did people ever make fun of you for...?"

"Oh, for my hair color?" Rosalya flashed her a grin. "Of course they have! Everything you've heard, I've heard too. ' _Grandma_ ', ' _oldie_ ', ' _senile',_ ' _hag_ '..."

 _Actually, 'senile' is a new one to me,_ Oyuun thought.

"...but you know what?" Rosalya continued. "I didn't care. 'Cause, like, what's so bad about white, y'know? I rock it pretty well! Nowadays they call me ' _ice queen_ ' and I take that as a compliment. Oh, and if anyone ever gives you flak for your eyes, you can go ahead and tell them that amber eyes are a thing. The keyword here is 'amber'. Seriously, I looked it up - it's legit." When Leigh had Oyuun turn around yet again, Rosalya gave her a wink. "Sometimes, it's all in the words you choose to present it with. You'd be surprised at how differently people react when you do some verbal reconstruction."

Oyuun blinked. She had not expected to be met with such wisdom on a surprise trip to a specialty clothing store. Then again, she didn't think she would be meeting someone who possessed the exact same coloring as hers. Oyuun was curious about whether or not it was natural - Rosalya's eyes must have been, from the way she talked about them - but didn't think it would be polite to ask. And anyway, what did it matter if it wasn't natural? Rosalya seemed to love it, and Oyuun envied her for her carefree take on the matter.

 _I should be more like her,_ the shaman thought as Leigh finished taking her measurements. He was now scribbling something down on a yellow notepad.

"That should settle it," Leigh remarked as he wrote. "Not too many alterations required, although I may need to widen the waist. Oh, I mean no offense," he quickly disclaimed, "but the waist appears to be tailored for someone with a corset. I don't think you plan on wearing a corset, do you?"

It was a tad too much information for Oyuun to take in without context. "Um, no...sorry, but is it possible for me to see the costume? To be honest, I don't even know what it looks like..."

"But of course. Rosalya?"

"On it!" The white haired girl went through a door Oyuun had not noticed in all the clutter and came back out with a big, dark red mass of fabric. She plopped it onto the work table and straightened it out so that Oyuun could see it in full profile. "A pretty gown with a matching jacket," Rosalya presented. "I'd say this style goes back to the 1850's or 60's. Whoever made this knew their history!"

Oyuun's eyes widened as she recognized the dress. _Purple eyes, pale blond hair, **red dress**..._ She reached for it gingerly, touching the edge of the jacket's sleeve. As soon as she did so, she was flooded with an overwhelming aura of caring and compassion that resembled the peacefulness of a certain grave in certain a forest clearing. _This was Mary's dress._

"Well?" Rosalya asked her. "Do you like it?"

"Oh, yes," Oyuun breathed, "it's pretty..."

"I actually think it _was_ made in the 1800's, Rosalya," Leigh said as he came up to them and studied the dress with a deft eye. "It's been well preserved, but some of the fabric has been worn in several places-"

"Or it's just a really good imitation that was made, what, thirty years ago at most," Rosalya interjected. Turning to Oyuun, she said, "And let's not forget the jewelry and shoes your mystery man gave along with the dress!"

"H-he's a friend of my dad's," Oyuun protested, feeling a little creeped out at the thought of Dimitry being 'her mystery man'.

But Rosalya didn't listen and disappeared into that other room again, reemerging with a sizable cardboard box in her hands. "This necklace matches _perfectly_ ," she purred as she drew out a complex choker with an intricate, interweaving design, "and these shoes are so charming!" She took out a set of dark red heels that, while they were not built in the typical modern style, did possess a sort of charm from being antiquated.

Oyuun looked over the items and blushed when she came to the shoes. "These are actually too small for me."

"Really? What a shame." With a shrug, Rosalya put the shoes back in the box. "Oh, right, here's a note for you." She handed the shaman a folded piece of cream colored vellum paper, sealed on one side with a circle of red wax.

On the back of the paper the words ' _To Oyoon_ ' were scrawled in beautiful calligraphy. _He spelled my name wrong,_ Oyuun thought. That was a common mistake for people who never saw the written form of her name. Turning it over, she broke the wax seal and found more calligraphy on the inside:

_I hope this note finds you well. Black told me last night that you found a way into the Hawthorne house through an invitation to a masquerade ball -_

_I give you this dress to use for attending the ball, along with its accompanying accessories. I will also take care of any costs due to necessary repairs and/or alterations._

_However, I do ask that you be very careful with it, as it is one of Mary's old possessions._

_-Dimitry_

_PS: Black will be attending alongside you in one of my suits. I apologize if it makes your costume theme redundant, but this is the best I can do._

"'The best'? This is _more_ than the best!" Oyuun whispered to herself. She had originally planned to go in one of her Mongolian deels or shop for a cheap costume at the local Wal-Mart. Make that two, as she also had to have Black's costume in mind. This kind gesture from Dimitry not only spared her a costume hunt, but more than made up for it in extravagance.

"Masquerade ball?" Rosalya interrupted from behind her shoulder, causing Oyuun to jolt when she realized the other girl might read the rest of the note.

Oyuun fumbled with the paper and closed it. "Uh, yeah, I got invited to one," she stammered.

"Ah, so did I," Lysander remarked.

 _Really?_ she thought. "Are you in Nathaniel's class?" Oyuun then asked curiously, since the invitation was open only to those in Nathaniel's and Amber's classes.

He nodded passively.

"Do you plan on going?" she asked yet again.

The silver haired boy shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not...I take it this dress is your costume for the ball?"

She nodded. If he then thought it strange that she should have accepted an invitation from Amber, he did not show it. As for Rosalya, Oyuun half-expected the girl to berate her or make some disapproving remark, given the way she talked about Amber earlier, but the white haired girl surprised her by grabbing her shoulders and leading her back out to the shop's main area. "A masquerade ball isn't complete without a mask! We have a _bunch_ to choose from!"

They came to a stop by a shelf that displayed the glittery masks, arranged by color so that they seemed to create a dazzling rainbow effect the more one looked down the line. Before Oyuun could say anything, Rosalya had her hands on a red and gold one and brought it up to the shaman's face. "This one matches your costume," she remarked. "But which do you prefer? The ones on a stick or the ones with a strap?"

"Uh, strap, I guess?" She didn't think it convenient to be holding onto a stick for the duration of the party, after all.

"Perfect! This one has a strap." Rosalya then pressed it into her hands.

Oyuun stared down at the fancy mask in shock. She was in further shock when she saw the price tag. "Oh, um, maybe next time-"

"Come on, you're a friend of Lysander's! We can give you a discount."

The shaman immediately shook her head. "Oh no, I couldn't! It's obviously worth more than that. And I'm not even Lysander's friend - we're just acquaintances." In case Rosalya might continue insisting, Oyuun gave her back the mask and said, "I have a friend who's coming with me to the ball and I'm not sure if he might have a mask for me or not. So, um, I'll ask him first and then come back to get a mask if I don't have one yet. Ok?"

That seemed to assure the spunky Rosalya. "Sounds great! Is it your dad's friend by any chance? He also brought in an old suit for us to alter."

"N-"

"Wait, never mind," Rosalya cut her off before she could finish. "The measurements for the alteration were for someone shorter than him." Her eyes then narrowed conspiratorially and she put a hand over her mouth. "Ooh, is it for your _boyfriend_?"

Oyuun's face grew red. "I-I don't have a boyfriend yet," she protested meekly.

Rosalya laughed. "I'm just messing with you. But you should get one; you're old enough to."

Oyuun was all the more embarrassed when she realized that Leigh and Lysander had already emerged from the back and possibly heard Rosalya's last remark. "I'll...uh...think about it," she stammered quietly with her back to the brothers, unable to face them at the moment.

"'Think about it'? What is this, some kind of business proposal?" Rosalya pointed over at Leigh. "I certainly didn't become his girlfriend just 'thinking about it'!"

 _...someone kill me,_ Oyuun thought as she slowly wilted away in embarrassment.

"You have _much_ to learn if you want to get a boyfriend," Rosalya said with finality and pat Oyuun on the shoulder. "And since I have some experience, I can help you!"

Whether Leigh noticed Oyuun's discomfort or truly needed Rosalya's attention, he called her over to help him with something in the back and the two of them disappeared down the corridor. Oyuun breathed a sigh of relief; Rosalya was nice and energetic, but she was also rather insistent and outspoken on some topics Oyuun was not yet comfortable discussing.

Lysander chuckled from where he stood behind the counter. "Rosa can be quite the handful at times."

Oyuun chanced a sidelong glance at the boy and nervously ducked her eyes again. "I guess..."

"She means well," Lysander said with a shrug. "It just takes some getting used to."

 _That's for sure,_ Oyuun thought. "Does she work at the shop?"

"More or less - she's not an official employee, but she does get paid for her work. It's more like a family business," Lysander explained.

 _So she's considered part of the family,_ Oyuun thought. _That's sweet._ "Does that mean you work here too?"

Lysander shook his head. "I don't know anything about clothes. I just stop by from time to time."

"Oh. Well, it's a nice place your family has," she complimented. Her eyes caught sight of a golden plaque award on the wall denoting Leigh as the first place winner in a clothing stylist competition, and she politely added, "Your parents must be proud of Leigh."

He chuckled yet again. "Oh, no, I meant it's _like_ a family business, not that it is one. My parents are proud, yes, but they live out in the countryside. I live here with Leigh in an apartment."

She nodded, digesting the information. It had been, overall, a rather curious day. Even more curious was the fact that Lysander was the type of person to become Castiel's friend. She wondered if the redhead ever met Leigh and Rosalya? Did he come to the shop, too? _He'd find it boring, though. I don't think he likes fashion and costumes._ In fact, she doubted that he even accepted the masquerade ball invitation. But that was only a passing thought, better reserved for another time. "Well, if that's all...I guess I'll go home now."

"All right."

"When will the costumes be ready?"

"It shouldn't take more than a few days, but a day before Halloween at most. At least, that's what Leigh told me. Your dad's friend also said he would pick up the suit," he added, "so you don't have to."

Oyuun ticked the days off on her finger. "Ok then, I'll come by around Friday to check on the dress."

"I'll let you know when it's done," he suggested. "Just so you don't end up coming for nothing, in case it's not. What's your number?"

She walked over to the counter and asked for a scrap of paper and a pen to write with. She then scrawled out her number and handed Lysander the paper. The boy took out his cellphone and, occasionally consulting the paper, typed something before pressing 'send'. A few seconds later, Oyuun's cellphone _dinged_ in her satchel with a text message notification. She pulled it out and saw a simple text saying 'Lysander' beneath his number.

"Thanks," she smiled, and waved goodbye to him. "Tell Leigh and Rosalya I said bye."

"Have a good day." This time, Lysander reciprocated with a small smile of his own and a little raise of his fingers as she headed for the door.

* * *

Black let out a peal of laughter. "Mary's shoes were too small for you? What are you - Bigfoot?"

Oyuun fought the urge to facepalm. "But it's the truth. I could tell just by looking."

"Ha! What a pity. Borrow one of your mother's shoes, then?" Black suggested. "She might have something in red."

Oyuun pursed her lips, twisted them in one direction, and then slowly said, "Actually...I was thinking of using something other than heels..."

"How so?"

She opened her closet and rummaged through it. "I don't have a lot of experience wearing them," she admitted. "So, I was wondering..." When she straightened up, she held a pair of dusky red flats. "...if these were ok instead?"

Black stared at her as if she was the weirdest thing he had ever encountered.

Oyuun grew flustered. "It's not like anyone's going to see what I'm wearing under the dress! Would you prefer me tripping up and down, and-"

Black laughed again and shook his head. "Oh, man," he breathed, "you really _do_ have a lot to learn about the nineteenth century!"

The shaman placed a hand on her hip, not very amused. "What is it now?"

The bat grinned mischievously. "How much would you like to bet that you were wrong, or that you were right?"

 _"_ About what? If I was supposed to wear heels?" When he nodded, she answered, "From the looks of it, I was wrong."

It was to her frustration, then, when Black answered, "Nope! You were actually right!"

Oyuun gave in to that previous urge and face-palmed.

"At social functions like balls, ladies actually wore low- to flat-heeled shoes for dancing," Black explained. "It doesn't make sense to dance in heels, after all. So while Mary's dress is not a ball gown, you're not exactly obligated to wear heels with them for the masquerade."

"I don't know how to dance," she pointed out.

Black shrugged. "We could practice."

"But it might turn out that there's no real dancing required at the ball," Oyuun argued. "A lot of my classmates don't know how to waltz, so it doesn't sound reasonable to expect everyone to. This sounds more like a Halloween party with a masquerade theme and the word 'ball' slapped on to make it more interesting."

Black frowned. "Then what's the point of holding a ball in the first place? Why not just say it's a costumed social meet or house party?"

"This _is_ the twenty-first century, Black," Oyuun said rather smugly. "A lot of things are labeled in certain ways, even if they might not be so officially. But I guess you still have a lot to learn about that."

Displeased that the tables seemed to have turned on him, Black pouted and crossed his arms. "Fine. What other question do you have for me?"

"It's not a question, but..." Oyuun put the flats down onto the carpet and went over to her desk, where what looked like two scarves of silk sat. One was orange, the other was green. "Remember when we made our plans last night? These were the _hadag_ scarves I was talking about. I'm not sure if you're familiar with them, but _hadag_ are blessed scarves used in welcoming ceremonies or religious rituals." She took up the orange one and held it out in both hands so that Black could see. "It's just the right width to hide a toli mirror. It will also prevent any of its evil energies from hurting us. We will have one each, and whoever gets to the mirror first will use their _hadag_ to wrap up the mirror."

"Ah...I see." Black felt the edge of the green scarf, his face thoughtful.

"Mary's jacket looked like it might have an inner pocket or two," she continued, "so I think I should be fine. What about you, Black? Is there any place in your suit for it?"

"There should be. Those suits were known for their inner pockets. Should I keep one handy?" he then asked, pointing to the scarf.

"Go ahead," she nodded. "We should probably use them to practice quickly wrapping up something the size of the mirror." Then, remembering something, "But wait, I did have a question: we need masks. Does Dimitry have anything in mind? I don't really have much in my allowance left." It had taken a sharp hit ever since the weekend trip to Old Amoris Town. "But if he doesn't, I can always ask my parents," she quickly interjected. "I just have to convince them to buy two."

Black nodded. "Oh, right, thanks for reminding me. Dimitry's giving me a Black Death mask to use, but other than an old Venetian mask, he doesn't have anything else - if that's fine with you."

"That sounds fine. I don't really care if its old."

"Are you sure? That thing has cracks all over it. The paint is chipped, too."

"I'm sure," she insisted. "I can ask my mom if she has anything for me to paint it over with. If not, it's still ok; believe it or not, a weathered look is actually quite charming in the twenty-first century. That's why ripped jeans are in fashion."

When she explained to Black what ripped jeans were, he wrinkled his nose. "By god, you modern humans are so strange. Why would anyone want to be caught wearing something so shabby? But whatever suits you. I'll tell Dimitry you're ok with it; heck, I'll probably bring over the mask tonight. Whatever work you can do with it is best done sooner rather than later."

Oyuun smiled, feeling slightly amused that Black was still repelled at the thought of a weathered look. "Thanks."

 _Everything seems all set for the party,_ she thought later that night when Black left for the manor. _I have a costume, mask, and something to contain the mirror with - all that's left now is to get it._ She sighed, reclining her head against her pillow, and envisioned the bronze mirror in her mind's eye. She could see the blue scarf entwined around it like a flowing river of fabric, old and weathered yet venerable and imposing. If she imagined hard enough, she could still feel its effect on her. It made her shiver briefly and she grabbed for her blanket.

_I hope that we can get it over with smoothly. Something that evil just shouldn't be allowed to stay for long._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] This is not a footnote about Mongolian shamanism, but in case you didn't know, a dress form is a model of a headless, armless, and legless human torso (usually in a female design) that tailors use to test fit their clothing.


	18. Masquerade

Cars ringed the lane of Hawthorne Manor, slowly snaking around the street and into the expansive driveway of the estate. It was a moonless night, but the lights of the great house and the many automobiles glowed brightly against the dark.

Oyuun extended a foot out of her parents' car and, adjusting her mask, a full-faced mask of porcelain crafted as an uncanny representation of a human face, made a slow and rather clumsy exit.

"Are you all right?" her dad asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she insisted.  _This dress is so big,_ she remarked to herself.

"Have fun, ok?" her mother's voice trilled after her.

When she had fully straightened up, she looked back at them and said, "I will," through the confines of the mask. It made her voice a little muffled but she was still audible; so with that reassurance, her parents beamed back at her and drove off so that the next car could deposit the next guest.

It was easy enough to obtain her parents' permission to go to the party. All she had to say was that her friends would be going and would possibly introduce her to their friends. Things became rather tricky when it came to the costume though; her mother had insisted on shopping for one with her, but she quickly interjected that a friend of hers allowed her to borrow an old costume. The necklace she passed off as a fake, for she didn't think her parents would have let her wear it otherwise. This 'friend' was also letting her borrow a mask, provided that she made the necessary repairs to it.

The keywords 'borrow' and 'repairs' satisfied most of her parents' suspicions. If she was borrowing rather than receiving a costume, she would return the favor by giving it back to its original owner; and if she was to repair an old mask, then she was showing she could be responsible in maintaining these borrowed items. Thus, her mother did some digging around the house and, upon finding a porcelain paint set she had used to repaint some of the family's old vases when they moved, gave it to her daughter for the task of touching up the mask. But before that, her father went out and got an epoxy filler at the local hardware store which he applied to fill some of the more noticeable cracks. After an hour or two it was ready to paint, but Oyuun only had the time to paint it after clearing away several days' worth of homework. And then, just a day before Halloween, Lysander texted that Mary's dress was ready for pickup.

 _I'm finally here,_  the young shaman thought as she gazed up at the front of the impressive manor. It was just as it had been on the day she went spirit traveling, although more appropriately decorated to match the holiday. When she lowered her head back down, she had to put a hand on her mask to stay it, for it was rather heavy and she didn't want it slipping too far off her face. She had made sure that it was tied snugly around her head, but one could never be sure.

As Oyuun walked towards the steps that led to the manor's front door, she was accosted by a young man in black right as her foot touched the first step. It was almost as if he had materialized there; then again, her mask blocked much of her vision at the corners. She jolted back a step at his sudden intrusion, but upon seeing his mask, a mask of black leather fashioned to resemble a bird's head, she sighed in relief. "Oh, Black; it's just you."

Black gave a polite bow and offered her his arm.

She pressed a hand against it as if to lower it and shook her head. "There's no need to be  _that_ polite."

Though Oyuun couldn't see Black's face, she could guess that it was probably frowning. "Well then, in we go," he said, and they walked side-by-side up to the open oaken door.

A stately old man dressed as a butler stood at the door and held out a hand to Oyuun and Black. "Your invitations?" he asked.

Oyuun slipped a hand into her jacket and produced the invitation Amber had given to her. "This is my friend," Oyuun explained with a hand on Black's arm. "The invitation said we could bring along one."

The old man opened and read it, nodded, then passed the card back to her. "Welcome to Hawthorne Manor." He gestured for the pair to enter and they did so most readily. As they walked away, they could hear the man ask the next guest for his or her invitation. The door was soon put far behind them, though, when they lost themselves in the costumed crowd.

So many people! So many masks! The very sight made Oyuun dizzy at the thought of counting them all. And thanks to their masks, she couldn't make heads or tails of their identities. She believed she recognized one or two of her classmates, but only very fleetingly. The thought soon turned from shock to relief when she considered how that meant her identity would be kept safe, especially behind a full-faced mask. As for her hair, it was up in a braided bun, which mostly put it out of the way. Provided that she kept a low profile, she could then take the mirror and not be suspected at all.

So it was with a bit of plucked up courage that Oyuun turned to Black and said, "We should split up."

"Now?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to wait a bit." He was referring to the beginning stage of their plan, which was to get a full scope of the house's first level before attempting any thievery.

"I'm positive. There're so many people here and we need to cover as many corners as we can."

Black dipped his head in agreement, the beak of his mask making it seem like he was pecking at the air. "All right, then. Where should we meet up?"

"Here." And it was going to be easy to do, for they were right underneath a great crystal chandelier; a very obvious landmark. "Let's give us thirty minutes each," she added.

"See you then," the bat said, and with a turn of his heels, lost himself in the crowd.

* * *

Now that she was alone, Oyuun once again felt lost in this sea of masked faces. But she did not regret her decision. The sooner they could get this first part over with, the better. Though it filled her with anxiety, she wanted to retrieve the mirror as soon as she was able to. Or Black, whoever could get to it first. There was also the matter of distractions; as they had discussed earlier, if the situation allowed for it, one of them would create some sort of distraction before the other went to get the mirror. That, to Oyuun, was the most ideal scenario in which to steal it.

With all this occupying her mind, she did not notice a figure coming rapidly from her left. She was only made aware of his presence when they both roughly bumped into each other. Oyuun took the brunt of it, for she fell back, whereas the figure merely stumbled back a few steps - but before she could reach the floor, a sturdy hand grasped her wrist and pulled her right back up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry - I can't believe I was so clumsy. Are you all right?"

It had been quite some time since she heard his voice, but she was able to recognize him. "Mr. Hawthorne!" she blurted out.

Francis Hawthorne's face, obscured by a dark blue half-mask that covered the area around his eyes, crinkled into an amused smile. "I don't remember being so famous," he remarked, mistaking her bewildered voice for awe.

Oyuun shook her head, more to snap herself out of her surprise than to negate Francis' words. "I'm sorry," she apologized when she found her composure. "I wasn't paying attention..."

"Neither was I. I guess we should both look before we dash, no?" he asked lightheartedly.

She gave a strained chuckle. "Heh, yeah..."

Francis seemed so different from the day she first saw him; so polite, and even charming! Who could look upon him and guess that he treated his eldest son with such violence? He cut a regal figure in the embroidered dark blue costume that he wore, a medieval style tunic-and-breeches outfit complete with a golden cape, sword belt, and shining leather boots. On his head sat a glittering crown, defining his overall costume as that of a king's.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you from your friends," he said at last. "Have fun." With one last illustrious smile, he swept his cape and continued on his way.

When he was gone, Oyuun stood still a moment to process the encounter in her mind.  _Right off the bat, and I bump into him..._ At least she knew what costume he was wearing. That would make him more identifiable. But where she was anxious to get her hands on the mirror, she was reluctant to curse the darkness out of him. She didn't relish the thought of hunting him down to chant Mongolian words and wave her hands at him. Their brief encounter might have also been her only chance...

She tried not to let that bother her too much and pushed once more through the crowd, noting what part of the house she was moving through as she did so. She was still in the main area, for the grand staircase and crystal chandelier were very much in plain view. If she remembered correctly, going a little ways down to the left led to a corridor that opened out once again to the left, and into the dining room.

"You - shall - not -  _pass!_ " a student in a Gandalf costume bellowed as he leapt out at a group of students in front of her, shaking his staff menacingly. The guys yelped in surprise and the girls gave delighted squeals and giggles. Oyuun stepped back to give them some space, but then shortly after had to move forward again to avoid being bumped by some people walking behind her.

 _This is going to take forever,_ she lamented.  _There must be some way to move faster in this-_

A Jedi knight intercepted Gandalf, pushing him back with the threat of a blue plastic lightsaber. "I don't think so, wizard!" he cried, and the two of them came at each other in a mock duel. After a few fake blows, Gandalf's staff swerved against the Jedi's hood, inadvertently throwing it back, and revealed a head of bright green hair.

"Oh look, it's Jade!" Gandalf exclaimed with a laugh.

Jade flipped the hood back on and readjusted his mask. "Not cool, man!" he protested playfully. "I was trying to keep my identity a secret."

"Then don't dye your hair in an obvious color, dude."

 _Jade?_ Oyuun felt herself lighten.  _I didn't know he was here!_

Jade made another playful remark before he noticed Oyuun from the corner of his eye. "Oh." He stood aside, thinking that she meant to pass but could not because they had been blocking her. "Sorry."

"No, it's ok," she insisted to them. "I was going to go around anyways - but it was fun watching you."

Jade frowned, tilted his head, and then asked, "Is that...is that you, Oyuun?"

She laughed and lifted her mask a little. "Yeah, it's me."

"What!" Jade exclaimed before erupting into fresh laughter. "I was  _totally_ not expecting that! Really good costume, by the way."

Oyuun put the mask back down to hide her blush. "Y-yours too," she stammered. "I didn't know you were a Star Wars fan."

"Ever since I was a kid."

" _Boo!_ " Gandalf spat. "Lord of the Rings is so much better!"

"Oh, you wanna bet?" Jade challenged.

"Bring it on!"

"Hey, don't hurt yourselves," Oyuun couldn't help but interject. They gave her halfhearted reassurances, but she had nothing much to worry about, for it was mostly a verbal debate that they were launching into rather than another fake battle. With a sigh of relief, she began to walk past them.

"You're not staying?" Jade called after her.

She paused.  _I would, if only I didn't have bigger things to worry about..._ "Oh, uh, I'm just looking around for now. But I'll come around."

"Ok."

That twinge of regret followed her even after she was well past them -  _but there's still some time at this party. Even if we do finish our job here._ That thought compelled her to complete her mission as quickly as possible and, thus encouraged, she pushed forward with a lighter spring in her step.

* * *

Black strolled leisurely around the house, looking here and there and taking note of whatever he could find. He didn't mind the occasional waiting he had to do when a large gaggle of students blocked his way; instead, he either listened to them or found a diversion elsewhere.

He took the route to the right, so he was in an unfamiliar part of the house. The first strange place he ducked his head into was what appeared to him to be some sort of parlor or den. Upon seeing that it was mostly walled in with large glass windows, he stood corrected: it was a sunroom.

 _A nice place to have coffee_ , he remarked to himself as he stepped in to look out one of the windows. He could envision Francis' pretty wife -  _Adelaide was her name, I think_ \- sitting here and enjoying the morning sunlight in her golden hair, a delicious hot drink in her hands.  _I wonder what she thinks of her son's mistreatment?_ After some moments of contemplation, he left the sunroom and continued on his way. He came round to a corridor that smelled like it led to the kitchen. As if on cue, two servers bustled out with trays of hors d'Oeuvres in their hands. The closest one to Black automatically stopped near him and asked if he wanted one.

Black took one off the tray and the server hurried off to the nearest crowd of guests. He lifted the beak of his mask and plopped the little piece of food into his mouth. As he chewed, he tasted these flavors: smoked salmon, cream cheese, and a delicate, buttery pastry shell.

 _These people sure know how to treat their guests_ , the bat thought as he dusted his gloved hand free of crumbs.

Black was now passing into a big living room from which a steady stream of modern music emanated. A lot of students were concentrated here, mostly lounging on the luxurious couches or standing idly by, talking with friends. They seemed more relaxed than the students partying in the main part of the house.

One in particular he thought he recognized, one who appeared to share a resemblance with Mary's brother even with the mask covering his eyes, dressed in a costume Black thought similar to the illustrations from old books on medieval royalty in Dimitry's house. He was standing by the fireplace, mulling over a cup of some sort of drink; perhaps soda, since that seemed to be popular amongst the modern youth. Black headed in his direction, his interest piqued.

"Nice costume, Your Highness," he greeted Nathaniel with a raise of his hat. A server with a tray of drinks passed by and Black plucked one of them off for himself. After taking a sip, he nearly gagged on the fizzy bite of the soda, but fought to keep it down. To other eyes, it merely seemed as if he had a little cough. With a clearance of his throat, he asked, "What are you for tonight? A king?" he suggested, gesturing with his head towards the crown on Nathaniel's head.

Nathaniel laughed sheepishly. "Oh, thanks. No, I'm not a king - that's my dad. I'm just a prince. This crown is smaller than his."

"Oh, I see." Black feigned another sip at the soda.

"And what are you?" Nathaniel asked.

Black smiled and gave him a sweeping bow. "I am the Gentleman Black Death, at your service."

Nathaniel blinked confusedly for a moment until his face lit up in recognition. "Oh that's right, your mask is a plague doctor's mask! The kind they used back in the fourteenth century during the Black Plague! It was designed with a beak-like structure that had two small nose holes to act as a sort of respirator and was often filled with aromatic herbs such as lavender or mint, which they believed prevented airborne disease from coming through. I was wondering why your mask seemed kind of familiar."

Black chuckled. "You certainly know more about it than I do. I only chose it because I thought it'd be..." What was that word that modern youngsters used nowadays? Oh yes, "cool."

"And then you're wearing a gentleman's suit of the 1800's," Nathaniel continued. "It's a really good combination."

"Why, thank you. Can you give a similar analysis on your costume?"

The student body president shrugged. "Oh...there's really not much to say other than it is quite accurate for a thirteenth century prince, except the tunic in reality was much longer. Down to the knees, ankles, even - but I guess if I was more 'accurate', I'd look like I was wearing a dress. That's not a good look according to modern points of view, so..." He shrugged.

"Come on, don't be so harsh on yourself. Your costume looks great."

"Haha, I know," Nathaniel agreed. "I was just saying, if it was historical accuracy you wanted, you won't exactly find it on me or my dad. Now, it's easier for my sister and mom; at least the style for women back then still looks good enough for today. What they're wearing is truly accurate, if you ever spot them."

"You've got me interested now," Black admitted. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out."

"Just don't infect them, ok?"

Black laughed. "No, no, I'm a gentleman, see - I wouldn't do that to fine ladies of society." He took a quick gulp at his soda and found it to be more agreeable that way. "So, you learned all this in History class?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "Not really...I was looking it up before the masquerade. I thought it'd be cool to know more about my own costume. I learned about the Black Plague mask in school, though. Are you a Sweet Amoris student?" he suddenly asked.

Black felt taken aback, but with the mask covering his facial expression, he was able to recover his composure so long as he kept his voice steady. "Why, no," he answered slowly. "I'm just here as that 'one extra friend'."

"Well then, what do you think of my family's party?"

Even at a young age, the boy possessed the charismatic sort of smile Black had seen many a human flock to when in need of a leader. Student body president seemed like an apt position for him. "It's a very good party," Black complimented. "And a very beautiful house."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Nathaniel remarked.

Black nodded. "Well, it was a pleasure talking with you, but I must go look for my friend now. Perhaps we'll meet again later."

Nathaniel heartily clapped him on the shoulder before he left and wished him a "Happy Halloween!"

* * *

 _There's the dining room,_ Oyuun thought as she went by that familiar passage. It was sectioned off with red velvet rope at the moment, since it wasn't in use. She paused a moment as she looked into it, remembering Nathaniel's cries and protests on that day. A sick feeling passed through her stomach and for a moment, she completely forgot the joy that seeing Jade had inspired within her.

 _Besides that, everything seems normal,_ as normal as a masquerade ball could be.  _And there are so many people here, more than I expected._

She finally rounded upon the entrance to the fateful sitting room. It was packed with guests right now, but Oyuun could see bits and pieces of the mirror through little fragments between the costumed bodies. There was nothing that could be felt at the moment, at least not from her distance and with so many people between them. So she drew back, thinking it now close to the time that she had to meet Black again underneath the chandelier.  _I'll keep going forward until I reach it again,_ she decided.  _There's no harm in exploring._

But when she turned around to resume her journey, she found Black walking towards her with a lighthearted chuckle.

"So we complete a half-circle instead of a full one," he remarked. "I guess there's no need to go back to the chandelier anymore, now that we're both here?"

Oyuun gave a little laugh herself. "Indeed."

"Well, since we're done with our reconnaissance mission, have you found anything noteworthy?" Black asked.

"Reconna...what?" Oyuun asked dumbly.

"In short, a survey."

"Oh...well, no. Nothing about the house. I bumped into Francis himself, though," she remembered with a shudder. "He's dressed as a king, in case you find him."

"That's funny. I was just talking to his son earlier."

"You saw Nathaniel?"

"Yeah, he was in a medieval prince getup," Black remarked. "I think the whole family's dressed up as medieval royalt-"

A chorus of giggles interrupted Black, and the pair's attention turned to a group of three girls sauntering by making snide remarks about other people's costumes.  _Speak of the devil,_ Oyuun thought when she recognized the golden waves of Amber's hair and the black and brunette shades of Li and Charlotte. When they got closer, their voices were clearer, which confirmed their identities.

It was just as Black said of the Hawthorne family's costume theme; Amber was dressed as a medieval princess in a beautiful dark red gown with long, voluminous sleeves and golden embroidery. A shimmering gossamer veil covered her hair, which was pulled back into a wavy waterfall braid, and a delicate rose gold circlet rested atop her head. Her mask covered her eyes, just as Francis' and Nathaniel's had done, only it flared out at the edges to emphasize its extravagance.

Li's costume was butterfly themed. It was a dazzling strapless dress decorated in the pattern of a monarch butterfly's, the hems of the dress cut in a petal-like shape to resemble the wingtips of a butterfly. Her mask was a quarter mask covering one eye and part of her cheek, so it was easier to see her face than the other two, and most of her hair was done up in a butterfly shaped bun; the remaining hair formed a thin tail that wound its way from the back of her head to rest over her left shoulder.

As for Charlotte, she was dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, only with a shorter and more golden than yellow version of the dress. Her mask was the first one Oyuun had seen in all the party to come with a stick; she held it to her face in her gloved hand, which didn't seem to tire from its responsibility. A large reddish-pink rose adorned the uppermost corner of the mask's right side.

Upon spotting the trio, Oyuun angled herself a little more sideways so that the back of her head would not be visible to them. She also pulled Black along with her to minimize the chances of bumping into them. When the dark beak of his mask turned to face her, she explained, "I don't want them to recognize me."

"What's with that beak?" Black heard Amber sneer. "Is he trying to be some stupid bird man? Or is that just a really big nose?" The other two girls erupted into malicious laughter in response. It took him a while before he realized that she was referring to him.

And then, about Oyuun's mask: "Wow, she must be real  _ugly_ to hide her entire face behind a creepy mask like that!" Even though there were plenty of people going around wearing full masks... _I suppose she just has to see the bad in everything,_ Oyuun thought.

"She's got quite the mouth, doesn't she?" the bat asked, his voice bristling with annoyance.

"Ugh, you don't know half of it," Oyuun groaned. "I had to deal with all  _three_ of them at the beginning of school." She shook her head. "It's best for us to not cross their paths. Since they know me and obviously don't like me, they might make everything more difficult."

Black nodded in ready agreement. "Which brings us to the second phase - getting the mirror."

Oyuun sighed. "There're so many people in that room. We'll need a distraction."

"I have just the thing for that."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Listen carefully-"

"Oyuun, there you are!" Jade's voice suddenly cut through. Oyuun and Black looked up to see the green haired Jedi knight coming towards them. "Hey, they're starting an apple bobbing contest in front of the staircase. I'm going to try it out - you wanna come see?"

He could not have arrived at a more conflicting moment. Oyuun opened and closed her mouth, making choked stammering noises - so surprised was she at Jade's appearance, yet pleasantly so - and it was quite a while before she could say anything legible. "I-I'll come a little later. I have, um, something I've got to do first."

It was then that Jade noticed Black. "Oh, showing your friend around?"

"Uh, yeah! He's a friend of mine and Ken's from Oakland. Bla- I mean, Brad, this is Jade; Jade, Brad." She hoped the cheery tone in her voice could compensate for the lack of a visual smile. "We'll be just a moment."

"Ok, cool," Jade nodded. "But if you're too busy, you don't have to."

"No, we'll come!" she suddenly insisted. "It might take a while, but we'll be there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, positive!"

"'Kay then. Nice meeting you, Brad, and Happy Halloween," he addressed Black before he left.

"You too," Black returned.

"See you, Jade," Oyuun called after him. "Sorry about that, Black," she apologized once Jade was gone. "What were you saying?"

The bat gave an amused chuckle. "Jade, is he?"

"Yeah..."

He kept quiet for a few moments and Oyuun wondered what he was thinking. Then, he suddenly asked, "You fancy him, don't you?"

Oyuun cringed. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Oh come on, Black! That's not important right now!"

Oyuun thought she could see him roll his eyes from behind the glass eye holes of his mask. "You're as obvious as an open book, even  _with_ a mask on. But you're right, back to the point-" And he lowered his head closer to her ear in order to whisper his intentions to her.

* * *

Jade turned around and gave her a big smile. "You're just in time! Where's Brad?"

"He's coming," Oyuun assured him and stood beside the Jedi to see what was going on. "They haven't started yet?"

"Oh, they have. I'm just waiting for my turn."

As if on cue, the sound of heads plunging into water directed her attention to two open barrels filled with water and of course, apples. Two costumed players, their masks removed and arms crossed behind their backs, were currently in the act of bobbing for the elusive red fruit. A waterproof mat was laid out underneath the barrels and a basket was placed beside each barrel for what Oyuun guessed was the purpose of collecting the apples. One of the servers stood to the side with a timer in his hand and watched both players carefully as the judge.

Several seconds went by and Oyuun was almost afraid that the players would drown themselves by holding their breath too long in their quest for apples; but much to her relief, they both rose back up when they couldn't take it any longer and she felt herself let out a big exhalation of air along with them.

Jade noticed and made a joke about her holding her breath for no reason. "You want to give it a try?" he asked a little later.

The first word that came to her mind was a big fat  _No_. There was no way she could embarrass herself like that, for 'embarrassing' was the adjective she used to describe anything like the apple bobbing contest. But why was it an embarrassment? Because it attracted a lot of silly attention. She hated that sort of attention thanks to years of being teased. And yet, she couldn't find it in herself to refuse Jade. Something about the way he asked made her pause before she could say 'no'.

_Well...it could be fun...I'll never know if I don't try._

And she was about to say so, but then she spotted Amber standing across the way from her, separated by only two or three other students. Her heart practically jumped into her mouth and it was only when she remembered that Amber did not yet know what her costume looked like did she calm down. Unfortunately, this meant that she couldn't participate in the apple bobbing contest. She was part relieved and part disappointed.

"No, it's ok," she replied to Jade. "I'll...I'll just watch for now."

Jade shrugged passively, but she still felt as though she had let him down somehow or at the very least, given up on a good opportunity.

After a short while, the timer went off and the current two players stopped their apple bobbing. They straightened their backs and flexed their arms, huffing and puffing with the exertion of the game, and dripping wet, to boot. But they both had eager looks on their faces as the judge peered into their baskets, which Oyuun remembered seeing some apples fall into.

"Miss Kimberly Williams is the winner of this round with three apples after sixty seconds," the judge declared.

A girl in a dark purple wig and an orange-and-black Japanese style costume whooped with joy. "Aw, yeah!" she exclaimed. "In your face, Dajan!"

The other contestant, who so happened to be Dajan, dressed as the Joker complete with what seemed like waterproof white makeup and green hairsprayed dreads, smiled garishly; or so the jagged line of red painted over his mouth made it seem.

They were offered towels, which they used to wipe themselves off, before putting on their masks again and making their way into the crowd. After disposing of the bitten apples, the judge began to call forth the next two volunteers to try their hand (or rather, mouths) at apple bobbing; Jade took up the chance and Oyuun wished him luck. Dajan and the girl named Kimberly high-fived the Jedi as they passed and were in no time standing next to Oyuun.

 _I hope Dajan doesn't notice me,_ the shaman thought as a familiar guilt crept over her again.  _I'll just move over here, where I can see Jade better..._ but there were too many people blocking her desired place right now, so she had to content herself with staying perfectly quiet and still.

"I totally creamed you," Kimberly said smugly to Dajan. "How many apples did you get?"

"Just one," Dajan admitted.

"Ha! So much for the NBA star," she smirked. "Looks like the aikido champ trumps this match."

"What do our sports have to do with this?" Dajan asked lightheartedly, for he knew she was only teasing.

"Everything, duh!" In her excitement, Kimberly's elbow thrust out and hit Oyuun on the shoulder. "Oops, sorry," she apologized, and when she turned to face Oyuun, the young shaman realized that it was  _Kim_.

 _Kimberly...Kim...oh!_ "It's ok," Oyuun said as softly as the din of the crowd could allow, hoping her voice wasn't recognizable; but unfortunately, it was. Either that or it was her eyes, but she guessed it was more likely her voice, since Jade used it to identify her earlier.  _In that case, I should be more quiet if I don't want to be noticed._.. _especially around Amber._

"Hey, Oyuun," Kim greeted her with a firm pat on the back. "'Sup?"

While Oyuun would have been perfectly fine with just Kim, it was Dajan she was reluctant to face. "Uh, nothing much," she said as casually as she could. "You?"

"Having a blast," Kim winked.

Before Dajan could speak up, Oyuun interjected with another question. "Nice costume, Kim; what is it?"

"Yoriuchi Shihoin from Bleach," Kim answered readily. "You know that anime? Bleach?" Oyuun shook her head. "I guess you already know what he is, huh?" Kim then gestured towards Dajan.

"The Batman franchise is more well-known," Dajan pointed out.

Oyuun looked around to see if there was another opening for her to go through. It was only a mere matter of seconds before Dajan might begin to ask her questions about the basketball club. In fact, he was already asking her a question, although not yet one of the basketball club: "What are you going as, Oyuun? It looks great!"

"Uh...I, uh..."

A fearful cry suddenly split through the festive air. Everyone paused in what they were doing to turn in its direction. One of the students then ran into view, her distress written plainly in the shape of her mouth and quivering tone of voice. "Oh my god, oh my god, we need help! Somebody fell - he just collapsed - and I don't think he's breathing!"

Murmurs spread like wildfire through the crowd. When no one made a move, none other than Francis Hawthorne leapt out to meet the girl. "Where?" he asked.

"In the sunroom! Oh my god, quick, I think we should call 911!"

And she ran with the master of the house to that room. The rest of the guests, either too disturbed or too intrigued by this sudden event to continue in what they were doing, followed the pair or stood back to discuss the impending situation. Dajan and Kim were a part of the guests who went to see what was happening, freeing Oyuun from her previous worries.

Bu she could hardly be bothered with them right now.  _It's_ _Black's signal,_  was the first thought that crossed Oyuun's mind when she heard the news proclaimed.  _Now's my chance._ She gulped and closed her eyes, offering a brief prayer to the spirits before ducking away to the corridor that would take her to the sitting room.

* * *

Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she could hear the blood rushing in her ears; now was the time, the moment of truth! It was this, or nothing! Without the mirror, there would be no sense in trying to chase the darkness out of Francis if its very source was still in place. Everything hung in the success of this operation.

 _Almost there!_ Her hands holding up her skirts, she fled past the dining room, zipped through the corridor, and finally came to a breathless stop at the thankfully empty sitting room-

-only to find that it was not empty at all. There was just one person, but even one person was too much for her in this situation. And when he rose his head to regard her, the face of which an eye was covered by a white quarter mask, she recognized him instantly.

"Lysander," she breathed, her disappointment and incredulity seeping through her voice.

"Ah, Oyuun," the Victorian boy greeted her, apparently not noticing the emotions in her tone.

With a fearful swallow, she sought to appear as normally as possible. "What a surprise," she began shakily. "I didn't expect to see you here..."

Lysander shrugged. "Rosalya and Leigh are off on a date for Halloween and I didn't want to be left alone at the apartment. So I just came."

 _No, I meant 'here' as in_ _this room!_ But of course, she couldn't say that. Instead, she blurted out, "There's an emergency in the sunroom," hoping it would make him leave.

"So I heard," Lysander nodded.

"I think we should go see if we can help out."

"There're plenty of people already there," he countered. "We hardly need to show up." He then turned away from her and back to what it was he had been preoccupied with earlier:

The mirror.

Oyuun's hands tightened into fists by her side. Was it not enough that he was here when it was most inconvenient for her? Did he have to be staring at the toli mirror too, making it ten times more difficult for her to steal it?

"A curious piece, isn't it?" Lysander then asked her. "I wonder what it is."

Her throat was so choked, she wanted to cry. But she pushed the feeling down and tried to think of ways to remove Lysander from the room. "It's old and dusty. I guess it's an antique, but other than that, I don't see what's so special about it."

He seemed a little irritated at the harshness in her tone. "It was just a question."

"And I suppose an old mirror is more important than someone's life?" she pushed on.

Lysander's mouth opened to form a more heated protest, but then he paused and asked her instead, "Wait...you said it was a mirror? So you know what it is?"

 _Out of the frying pan and into the fire,_ she mentally groaned. Of course, there was no way Lysander could've known its true purpose; it was propped so that the mandala pattern faced outwards, and its flat side was not quite as reflective as it must have been centuries before. Mirrors didn't usually come with blue scarves tied to them, either.

"I just said the first thing that popped into my mind," she protested. "It could be anything! Come on now, let's go and-"

"But you said it so surely," Lysander interrupted. "And 'mirror' doesn't seem an obvious description for-"

"So what, Lysander? What does it mean to you?" she almost screamed from the top of her lungs; it was only by a miracle that she managed to keep it level. She grew more animated the more she continued, both on purpose and unwittingly as she let her frenzied emotions slip through. "It's just an old...old thing! And in the meantime, my friend is out there unconscious and unable to breathe, and, and-"

"All right!" he snapped. "If it makes you feel better, I'll go. But you should probably give yourself some air; you're breathing heavily and I don't think your mask is helping."

When Oyuun stopped to consider this point, she found that he was right. But she didn't want to risk revealing her full face, in case another person should come by, so she just lifted it a little to give her mouth and nose some more breathing space. "Sorry," she then apologized to him. "It's just...never mind. You go first, I'll follow you later."

And he did so, but not, she suspected, without giving her a wary eye before he left.  _I wouldn't blame him. He must have thought I was acting weird._

Once he was well and truly gone, she slid the mask back down and turned to the mirror. Now that it was just her and the cursed object, she could feel its aura more keenly, although it was not as strong as the day she went spirit-traveling. It was lying dormant, she realized, waiting for its next opportunity.

 _Not anymore,_ she promised herself and whipped out her  _hadag_ scarf from the inner pocket of Mary's jacket. In quick and rehearsed succession, she opened the cloth in both hands and tied it round and round the mirror, until all of its details became obscured in orange silk. She hugged it to her body to tie up the last ends before quickly tucking it into her jacket.

Right as it was slipping into the pocket, footsteps echoed around the bend. Oyuun almost dropped the toli but it luckily fell into the pocket instead; a good thing, then, that it had been closer to the garment than the air. Once that was done, she gathered up her skirts again and beat a hasty retreat from the sitting room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued in Masquerade, Pt. 2! I'm splitting it here because I realized there's still quite a bit to go on about the masquerade, and in full it would be too long of a chapter. Stay tuned!


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